雪の花 (Yuki no Hana)
by Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If
Summary: Jade Curtiss tried hard to forget the words that damned his mind, and Lythia Balfour tried hard to forget the brother she loved. But years wear down on the mind, and the secrets that have been kept by both can't remain hidden. Especially since Yulia's Score needs to be fulfilled. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. Thanks to fellow DeviantArtist for translating title: Yuki no Hana
1. Lost and Never Found

**Hello to anyone reading this story! Greetings and welcome to my new story; "Yuki no Hana", which, if Google Translate did its job properly, means "Snow Blossom" in Japanese. If there is anyone willing to correct that, please do. Or if Google Translate has done its job correctly then please, also tell me. Anyway.  
**

 **Summary:** **There are four people in the Malkuth Empire that considered the cold snow of Keterburg a curse. It caused their lives to be turned upside down. Jade Curtiss tried hard to forget the words that damned his mind, and Lythia Balfour tried hard to forget the brother she loved. But years wear down on the mind, and the secrets that have been kept by both can't remain hidden. Especially since Yulia's Score needs to be fulfilled.**

 **Pairings: Nephry/Peony is my only planned pairing for now. More to come later maybe.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss, nor any of the characters mentioned except Lythia. All rights go to their respectful owners, Abyss and its characters to Bandai Namco, and Lythia to me.**

 **More notes at the bottom. Well enjoy the story!**

* * *

 **Lost and Never Found**

 _~12 months before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Two sisters met at Keterburg Bay, greeting each other as if they did not have such a familial connection. One wore a variation of the Malkuth military uniform, the other, just semi-formal clothes. They spoke as if they were friends of a mutual friend who had brought them together, talking and joking about the Emperor in a way that only friends of the royal family could.

After the two had exchanged greetings, the sisters were escorted to Keterburg where the younger of the two offered the elder to stay the night at her house. The elder accepted and then the siblings moved to what was the safety of the younger's house. There they could speak freely and act like the sisters that they were.

The elder sister was convinced by her younger sister to change out of her uniform into one of the dresses that were always kept aside for times in which the two sisters were together. The elder sister stares out the window, at the white snow and she frowns as she remembers a conversation from her childhood that had happened in a room like the one she was in.

" _Jade…. If I died…. Would you…. replicate me as if it was nothing?"_

" _Of course I would Lythia, because it is nothing and you wouldn't be dead anymore."_

"… _.. I thought that I meant more to you than that, Jade…. Perhaps I was wrong…. Again…"_

" _Lythia? What are you talking about? Hey! Where are you going?"_

" _Away."_

Black ribbon is pulled away from pale blonde hair as Lythia Balfour tugs at the bow that has been holding her hair in a tight bun for the past five days. In the reflection in the window she can see a sneer on her face, the same sneer that appeared every time she remembered the day that she had run away from Keterburg. Quickly she wiped the expression off her face, terrified, as she always was, of the hatred and malice that shadowed her eyes.

"Lythia Balfour is dead," she murmured to herself, closing her eyes. "All that's left is Lillian, Major in the Malkuth military, known throughout the city as 'the People's General'. Jade Balfour is also dead, and all that remains is Jade Curtiss, Colonel of the Third Division of the Malkuth military. He has no connection to me, nor do I have any connection to him."

Perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't focused on anything besides trying to quiet her mind, or because of the way that the door never seemed to make a sound, Lythia jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. Her eyes flew open and she turned to see her younger sister, Nephry Osborne, with a sad smile on her face.

"If Lythia Balfour is dead then I'd like to know why Major Lillian is standing in the one room I don't let anyone enter," she said, pausing before speaking again. "You have to be careful where and when you speak, big sister. If you aren't then all my hard work to disguise you will be for naught."

Letting out a breath, Lythia pulled Nephry into a tight embrace, letting the black ribbon fall to the floor.

"Forgive me Nephry," she sighed. "I know that you have sacrificed a lot to keep the truth hidden, lying to many people, and our brother. I…. I think I want to tell him soon. I can't keep wondering how much he's truly changed. But at the same time, I'm still afraid."

The two sisters looked at each other as Nephry stepped out of Lythia's embrace. They made a silent agreement and walked to the chairs in Nephry's living room, sitting down and just enjoying the quiet. Finally Nephry breached the topic that was sitting on both their minds.

"You can't run from him forever, sister," she started quietly, causing Lythia to look down. "You love our brother, no matter how you try and deny it, and hiding the truth is killing you. And him, if what you say in your letters is true."

Lythia gave a bitter laugh, tugging at her blond hair again.

"I hear from his Majesty that he gets this tortured look in his eyes every time he looks at me," she spat, keeping her head turned away from her younger sister. "Apparently he then goes through the lists of data collected for replicas trying to prove that I am a replica, but finding nothing he then destroys his office only to fix it later. Although his Majesty was most likely trying to make me feel better."

Nephry stared at her older sister, trying to decide if she had heard her say "Jade doesn't lose control of his anger" or not. There was years worth of loathing dripping from her words. The room remained silent until Nephry noticed that Lythia was shaking. She walked over to her sister and grabbed her hands.

"Is it so hard to believe that Jade might actually regret whatever it was that was said to cause you to run away?" she asked, causing Lythia to freeze, remembering that she had never told anyone of the conversation that she and Jade had that day. "Is it so hard to believe that he loved when you followed him around asking him endless questions and loved you when you looked up at him like he was the greatest person in your life? Yes, my relationship with him has been strained for years, and I don't think I could ever look at him the way you do, but I know you Lythia. I know that you have already forgiven him for whatever mistakes he made. You just have to get over your fear of facing the truth."

Lythia let out a sob, burying her face in her hands, trying to furiously wipe away the tears that had been streaming down her cheeks. Nephry pulled her sibling into her arms, and held her in silence as she cried. There was a strange peace to the coldness of Keterburg that calmed Lythia quite quickly, as the two sisters listened to the quiet, saying nothing, and not moving. Eventually their embrace was broken again as Nephry once again stepped away.

"I believe that it is time for you to have that chat with Fon Master Ion, like you promised," Nephry said firmly. "Tomorrow morning we shall set out for Daath and there you will meet with the Fon Master."

"Why?" Lythia asked, already knowing the answer. She sighed and changed the question. "We? You are coming with me?"

Nephry gave her sister a rare smirk that made Lythia think of Jade.

"Yes, 'we'," she answered. "If I didn't go with you than you would find a way out of it. Keterburg can run itself for a few days. They won't notice me missing."

The two shared a light laugh, before falling into a conversation about Keterburg. They spoke for a long time before retiring to bed, both with much on their minds. Though that night would find Lythia awake, unable to sleep worried about how her brother would react when she finally faced the truth she had been running from for years.

"Forgive me Jade…." She whispered, staring out into the snow.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading the first chapter of my new story.**

 **I'd like to introduce my OC in this fic: Lythia Balfour, little sister to Jade and older sister to Nephry. A few things I need to point out now, I don't want hate reviews later. This is just notes that you don't have to read. Please feel free to ignore these footnotes.**

 **Lythia will be addressed as 'Princess Lythia', 'my Lady', 'Lady Lythia' and so forth throughout the course of this story. This is because she was made the ward of the Emperor of Malkuth (Peony's father) when she was a child, and technically adopted. Why that is so will be explained later in the story. It must also be noted that at a point before this story begins, Lythia and Peony were to be married, an arrangement made by Peony's father, an arrangement that neither of them were happy with. Let it be said that Lythia doesn't like being addressed as 'Princess' and much prefers her military title.**

 **Next - You probably noticed at the start of the chapter the words "12 Months before Fall of Akzeriuth". That is my time keep. I'm not going to write all 12 months before Akzeriuth, just the moments that are important to the story. I'll put at the start of each chapter the countdown to the Fall of Akzeriuth, until the chapter of the Fall.**

 **Anyway, thanks once again for reading this story, please follow it if you want to see more and leave a review with your opinion. Until next time!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**


	2. Ephemeral Secrets

**Welcome back to Yuki no Hana! I just finished looking over my third chapter, so I can now post this, my second chapter. Hope you can enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss. I do, however, own my OC Lythia Balfour.**

 **Special thanks to my unofficial Beta; Defiance-of-Fate!**

* * *

 **Ephemeral Secrets**

Morning didn't come soon enough in Lythia's opinion, but when it did, she wished it was yesterday. She had forgotten how the snow of Keterburg made the morning air crisp and sharp. She had also forgotten the way that the cold air caused her muscles to strain the wrong way, causing her pain which was discomforting. With a groan she pulled herself out of the warm bed that Nephry had given her for the night, trying to shake away the signs of her sleepless night with a shiver.

She was going to Daath today, she reminded herself as she dressed herself back into her military uniform, so similar to her brother's, but very different at the same time, missing the cape, instead just a tunic with long sleeves. She refused to wear gloves most days, but today she wore the elbow length gloves that Peony had gifted her one birthday as a joke to annoy Jade. Her knee high boots sat in the corner of her room. Lythia never understood how Jade could wear boots higher than his knees, but her brother somehow did. One more thing Lythia refused to wear was a belt, instead choosing to tie a black sash around her waist. This often annoyed her superiors, but the Emperor had stood up for her, so they didn't complain… much.

She picked up the ribbon that she had pulled out of her hair last night. She hated it. It stopped her from wearing the gold vine shaped hair clip that Jade had given her when they were still children. The black ribbon was a reminder that she was Major Lillian of the Malkuth army and that no one besides her sister, Fon Master Ion, and Emperor Peony knew who she was, a reminder that Jade didn't know she was Lythia Balfour, a reminder that she had run away from her own name and abandoned it by letting her brother believe that she was dead.

"Lythia?" Nephry's voice filtered through the door. "Are you awake?"

"No," Lythia replied tiredly. "I am asleep and you are talking to my decoy."

The laughter that Lythia heard as her door opened caused her to look up. Nephry was wearing a very plain, green, peasant style dress which surprised Lythia.

"Do you realize just how weird it will look with you walking next to me wearing that?" Lythia asked. Nephry laughed again, paying no heed to the look that her older sister was shooting at her. Still laughing, Nephry pushed Lythia over to the mirror and into the seat in front of it, picking up an ornamental hairbrush from a wooden box on the shelf. Lythia's blonde hair was pulled through the brush with care as Nephry skilfully styled her sibling's hair into the same tight bun that Lythia always wore.

"I'm wearing this because it is easier to move around Keterburg unnoticed if I'm not wearing formal clothes," Nephry said, answering Lythia as she worked. "And besides it will not look weird, you are military and tasked to protect the civilians."

Lythia snorted, earning herself a glare from her sister.

"I am military, yes," she replied, "but I am, in all technicality, assigned to protect his Majesty, however, I must say, it is quite impossible to do so when he orders me away so often."

Nothing much more was said between the two as Nephry finished pulling her older sister's hair into its bun, wrapping the black ribbon around it. When they had finished, the two sisters made their way to the port to catch their ferry to Daath.

* * *

" _Jade! Tell me more about fomicry!"_

" _What do you want to know Lythia?"_

" _Tell me how it works!"_

" _Well fomicry uses Seventh Fonons _"_

" _Jaaade!"_

" _Go away Saphir, big brother is telling me about fomicry."_

" _I hate you, Lythia!"_

" _Hate you more!"_

" _Lythia, Saphir, stop. Lythia, I'll tell you more about fomicry later, okay?"_

"… _Sure…."_

Lythia sighed, banishing yet another memory from her childhood. She hated the way that the memories jumped out of the back of her mind when she was thinking. With a quiet laugh, Lythia realised that Nephry was right. Any hatred she felt concerning Jade wasn't directed at her brother, but herself. She hated the way she had run away. She hated the way that simple words had led to her abandoning everything she knew.

"I hate you Saphir…." She murmured, looking out at the sea that the ferry was crossing over, noting Daath getting closer. "How often did I say that before I ran away?"

Suddenly a hand slapped the back of her head harshly. Turning around, she fell quickly into a defensive stance, before recognising her sister before her. With a growl she walked across the deck of the ferry, where she had been standing.

"You didn't say it that that often enough to cause Saphir to not care when you ran away," Nephry said to the back that was facing her.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he missed taunting me and pushing me aside so he could take all of Jade's time," Lythia said. Her words trailed as she processed what she had said.

"Not that I was jealous or anything!" she hastily added. Nephry smiled, walking off, letting her warning that they would be reaching Daath in a few minutes. Lythia remained silent, wondering when exactly she had forgiven her brother.

In Daath, the two sisters quickly walked to the cathedral. Lythia was walking with an expressionless face. They were greeted by Grand Maestro Mohs.

"Major Lillian, Governess Osborne," he said, in a tone that made Lythia's eyes narrow. "Welcome back to the grand Cathedral, how might the Order of Lorelei assist you today?"

Lythia really wanted to throw out an insult at Mohs, but she needed to see Ion.

"Thank you Grand Maestro," she stated, keeping all annoyance out of her tone. "We would request to speak with the Fon Master."

Several minutes of talking to the Grand Maestro and one new headache for Lythia, the two sisters were finally in the Fon Master's office, waiting for Ion to return. Lythia stood in the corner, leaning against the wall, while Nephry stood near the window staring out at the city.

"Princess Lythia," a voice from the doorway says. "It's been a long while since you've come to Daath to see me."

"My Lord Brother has kept me busy within the palace," she replied, wincing as she used the titles that she always felt never belonged to her. "It's still quite busy in Grand Chokmah, even though my Lord Brother's father died years ago."

"And what of your true brother?" Ion asked, moving behind his desk. "It has been almost twenty-four years since you ran away. It is clear that lying is killing your mind, and Jade does deserve to know that his sister is alive. He deserves the chance to apologise to you."

Lythia remained silent, staring forward, before pushing away from the wall and walking towards Ion. She stopped in front of his desk, putting her hands in front of her.

"Will he apologise?" she asked quietly, staring at the leather of her gloves. Nephry's hand rested on her shoulder.

"Do you want him to apologise?" Ion asked in turn. Lythia's hands fell to her sides, clenched. Silence filled the room, broken several minutes later by the elder sister as she let out a sigh.

"I don't know," she whispered. Ion regarded Lythia with sympathetic eyes.

"I cannot tell you what to do," he said softly, "but I can recommend. And I am recommending that you tell Jade the truth."

Lythia said nothing and Nephry led her out of the room.

"Think on my words, Lythia," Ion's voice called. "He will apologise, even if it's in his own way."

* * *

 **No. Jade hasn't shown up yet. Neither has Peony or Natalia. Don't worry; Peony and Jade will show up next chapter, promise. But Ion's here! Anyway, yeah, this isn't my best chapter. Forgive me. Next chapter is slightly longer. Thanks for reading and please review!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **Notes that you don't have to read:**

 **You might be wondering why I'm pushing to get Lythia to admit the truth to Jade. The reason is; I need them to have a vague sibling bond before the events of Engeve. I have plans that involve Dist, and replicas, and Natalia, and even more secrets that Lythia and Jade have that will be brought to light.**


	3. Gathering of Courage

**Hey again! I'm updating this story (obviously), which means I've finished the chapter following this. BUT! I shan't be updating again until I finish chapter 6 SINCE chapters 4, 5 and 6 all in the same time period (within the eleventh month before Akzeriuth (kinda like chapters 1 and 2)) and I want to make sure that they don't break their own facts. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Gathering of Courage**

 _~11 months and 2 days before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

The waterfalls surrounding Grand Chokmah flowed almost tauntingly as Lythia walked through the city. Nearly a month had passed since she and Nephry had spoken to Fon Master Ion and she still hadn't told Jade that she was his "dead" sister. She couldn't for she was still afraid of his reaction, neither did she know what to say to him. She had been nine years old when she had run away, now, almost twenty four years later, she felt like it was too late to even try.

With that depressing thought in her head, she sighed and stopped, letting her hand rest upon the door of the Malkuth Military Headquarters, where she had been heading. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the person whom which her worries were centred approach her from behind.

"Well then, Major Lillian. I'm surprised to see you so deep in thought that you let your own emotions get the best of you."

His voice cut deep in Lythia's mind as she let her mind analyse the voice. It was light-hearted and tinged with faint concern.

"Colonel Curtiss," she said quietly, turning to face the man. "I hope you'll forgive my slip in composure. I am just trying to find a solution to a problem that I've had for a while."

Jade's crimson coloured eyes didn't give away any emotion, for which, Lythia was grateful. She didn't expect his next words though, a rare show of affection that always threw her in for a loop.

"If it is a problem I can help you with, by all means, tell me," he offered with a small smirk that held a fondness to it that Lythia had never seen before. "I can't have someone under my command unable to perform their duties."

Lythia stared at Jade, surprised, before she started laughing, being the only thing to stop her from crying. It was truly ironic that it would be _Jade Curtiss_ of all people that offered to help her with her problem. The man in front of her frowned, and Lythia forced herself to stop laughing, succeeding mostly.

"I highly doubt anyone could help me, Jade," she replied around faint laughter. "Nobody knows me well enough to do so."

"That is no fault of theirs," Jade pointed out with a raised eyebrow. " _Lillian_. It's obvious to tell that the name isn't yours."

With a smirk, Lythia noted the suspicious tone that her brother's voice had taken.

"And you haven't been able to discover who I really am, have you?" she asked. She stopped laughing then, pulling up the walls that she hid her emotions behind. "There is nothing for you to find, Emperor Karl the fifth made sure of that fact."

Jade's eyes seemed to sharpen at her change in demeanour. Lythia mentally slapped herself for doing that. Such an imperfect soldier she was, and how annoying her habit of quickly hiding her emotions was. Jade opened his mouth to say something, but paused, flicking his eyes behind Lythia.

"It appears that we have an audience," he said, causing the blonde haired woman to turn to see Emperor Peony standing in the doorway behind her. His blue eyes were staring at Lythia with exasperation, but when he spoke his words where directed at Jade.

"Really Jade?" the man asked with a smile. "Did you really have to make Lillian fall back into military mode when I need her to be normal?"

"I thought this was normal for her," Jade stated with a smirk. Lythia let out a light growl, surprising both men, as she brushed past them, walking back towards the city. Behind her, Lythia could hear Peony scolding Jade. She didn't pay much attention to what was being said, but one thing stood out like a flare.

"All your comments to her will come back to bite you one day Jade," the Emperor said quietly. "She will find the one thing to say that will break you, and I predict that she is the only one who can. I hope you are prepared for when she does."

Jade's next words cut deep at Lythia's heart.

"There is nothing anyone can say that would 'break me' as you felt so inclined to put it."

Quietly, Lythia muttered her acceptance to the unwitting challenge that she had been thrown. She ignored everything after that, simply focused on getting away from the two men determined to talk about her. She decided to go back to her rooms in the palace where she could think freely.

* * *

" _I hear that Jade got adopted into the Curtiss family."_

" _Why do I care, Peony?"_

" _Because he's your older brother."_

" _My brother is not that_ boy _that is now Jade Curtiss."_

" _Yes he is, Lythia."_

" _Stop Peony. I don't care. I don't care about Jade, and I don't care what he does."_

"… _. What made you this way Lythia?"_

* * *

 _~11 months and 1 day before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

It was vaguely annoying to Lythia to have Peony following her through Grand Chokmah as she headed towards a place on the other side of the city. It wasn't anywhere in particular, just a small bookshop where Lythia frequented. As she entered the store, the bells on the door tinkled and the blonde haired woman could see the greyed hair of the shopkeeper in the back.

"Ah, my Lady, my Lord, welcome," she greeted. Lythia smiled fondly.

"Hello Maxine," Lythia replied. "How are you today?"

"I am well my lady," the old woman replied. "Please, look around. I'm always happy to do business with the royal family."

Peony sent a smug look at Lythia, which Lythia met with a glare. The blonde woman let out a laugh.

"Maxine, you know that I'm only the adopted daughter of our former Emperor," she said, going to look at the shelves of books. "I'm not royalty."

She flashed a feral grin at Peony who was spluttering behind her. The shop was filled with laughter from the two women, as they shared their mirth at the Emperor's expression.

"It seems, my lady," Maxine started with a smile, "that our Emperor Peony doesn't share your sentiment."

"He wouldn't," Lythia sighed; pulling one of the leather bound books off the shelf. "He's very fond of my presence, my Lord Brother is. That reminds me, how is your granddaughter Arya? My handmaiden will be stepping down soon, and Lord Brother is making me select my new one. Arya might only be ten, but she is a hard worker and very polite, so I wanted to offer her the chance to gain that position."

Peony decided to interrupt right then, having seemingly regained control of his shock. Lythia could tell that he was struggling not to call her by her name and remember that she was called Lillian around Malkuth.

"Lillian," he said. "The youngest of the girls who applied is thirteen, and that is the youngest that any girl has been for handmaidens of the Malkuth Empresses and Princesses."

Lythia held up her hand to silence him. Her eyes had closed and Peony somehow wished that he could see what resided in their deep violet depths.

"You, Lord Brother," she murmured, "Let me have the choice to invite one girl of my choosing to attend the trial period. Arya is the girl I choose. If that is alright with dear Maxine."

By the time Lythia and Peony left the bookshop, they held several books on various topics in their hands, and they were followed by the black haired granddaughter of Maxine, who had been allowed to participate in Lythia's trials for a new handmaiden. The young girl was happily skipping beside Lythia, holding her small bag of personal items that she was taking with her to the imperial palace. Lythia was giving her instructions as they walked, and Arya was listening intently. When they reached the palace Lythia called a maid to take Arya to her quarters where the other girls would be gathering. Then she turned to Peony.

"I need to tell Jade the truth soon," she said quietly. "Fon Master Ion is right, I need to speak up before I do something I regret."

"Tonight then," Peony replied, his eyes danced with a mischievous gleam. "I'll drug him with sleep tonic and then you can do what you used to when we were younger and braid his hair while he sleeps."

Lythia looked stricken. She opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced when Peony pressed his finger to her lips.

"Tonight Lythia," he said. Lythia nodded, and watched as Peony walked away, before walking to her rooms.

There, a maid was talking to a group of about nine girls, Arya included. Lythia stood in the doorway watching them before clearing her throat to gain their attention. The girls all looked in her direction, gasping as they saw who had entered the room. Arya jumped up immediately and asked if she could take the books from Lythia's hands.

"Thank you child," Lythia said softly. "Please place them over near my window. I'll be looking at them later."

As Arya did as Lythia requested, the ward princess of Malkuth spoke to the room, telling the gathered girls what she expected and how long they would be in the palace for. She told them the duties that they would be required to complete each day and then imposed a curfew for them to follow. Then she got to the first test.

"There is one thing I must tell you all, which many in the Malkuth empire have worked out," she said, her voice growing grave. "Lillian isn't my real name, nor shall I be telling you my name for some time. If you cannot work with me after this information then please leave."

Five of the nine girls slowly stood up and left, leaving behind Arya and three more, whom looked like they came from the middle class houses. Lythia sighed, knowing that she would have to expect more reactions like that, and potentially more than that, when she finally told the truth to the citizens of Malkuth. Oh how she hated being the princess. She addressed the remaining girls, sending them off with the maid to meet her current handmaiden.

With a sigh, Lythia walked to where Arya had placed the books, picking up one that was written in Ancient Ispanian. Walking to the desk that sat in the corner of the room, she picked up the worn book that Emperor Karl V had given her when she had first entered the castle. Placing the two books next to each other, Lythia wrote on a sheet of parchment notes on the fonic artes described in the text, waiting for Peony to come to drag her to Jade's office in the military headquarters, where he would inevitably be.

Sure enough, several hours later, one of the girls, Serill, if Lythia remembered her name, knocked on Lythia's door.

"Lady Lillian?" she asked softly. "Emperor Peony is here to talk to you. Shall I let him in?"

Lythia looked up from her pages of work, to assess the girl before her. She looked to be about fifteen years old, and had red hair. Sighing once again, Lythia stood up.

"No, its fine child," she replied, walking past the girl. "Thank you for informing me. I'll be out for a while. Please tell the rest of the girls that they are finished for the evening. I won't be back before your curfew."

Lythia frowned as Serill nodded and walked off, but didn't comment on the fact that the girls should have been told that the Princess' handmaiden was meant to accompany her everywhere. It was better that she and Peony were alone as they went to Jade's office.

"Come Lillian," Peony's voice trailed from behind her. They left the palace without a word and made their way to the Malkuth Military Headquarters.

"I fail to see the reason behind doing this _Lord Brother_ ," Lythia snapped irritably. Peony visibly flinched at her voice.

"Lythia," he said, stopping. "Nephry has said this, I know that Fon Master Ion has said this, and now I shall say it. Stop. Just stop avoiding the truth. Stop denying your blood tie to Jade. He is your brother! Stop denying it and let me see the two of you smile for once!"

A crack rang out. Lythia's eyes widened as she touched her fingers to the red mark left on her cheek from Peony's hand. Her head dropped.

"I can't stand the way you both look at each other as though you're in pain anymore," he murmured, anger and frustration spent. "I won't spend another five, even ten years dancing around the truth."

"Forgive me, Peony," she whispered. "You are right."

They stood in silence for a minute before Lythia's eyes seemed to take on a childish gleam.

"So what am I doing precisely?" she asked mischievously. Peony grinned and held up a hair brush and a couple of hair ties.

"As I said earlier," he replied. "You'll play the same prank that you used to play on him when we were younger. While he's sleeping, you will go and braid his hair, as intricately as you like, and then his hair will be untameable in the morning. I'll go in there and give him some coffee laced with sleeping tonic. He won't even notice you there."

"Won't he blame you though?" Lythia asked. Peony shook his head.

"You'll tell him the truth when he comes and confronts me tomorrow."

With that the Emperor and his adopted sister, slipped into the office of Jade Curtiss, and participated in a prank from their childhood.

* * *

 **MWAHAHA! *coughcough* Sorry about the end there. Peony didn't mean to slap Lythia (I made him do it! xD). He was getting agitated and Lythia, being military (and Jade's little sister), wasn't really going to respond to just words.**

 **Anywho! As you might guess - Lythia will be telling Jade the truth in the next chapter! That is all I'm saying there on that topic. I hope you have been paying attention to the flashback conversations that are becoming a thing. And paying attention to everything that has been said by all characters so far; most of it has been important.**

 **So Jade is about to be pranked by Lythia and Peony. This should end well! ^.^**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **Unimportant Notes:  
Meet Arya - Lythia's future handmaiden. She will become important later - After she officially becomes Lythia's handmaiden. Kudos to anyone who can guess why each of the other girls leave. I'd say pay attention to each girl's actions, but they won't get much important stuff written about them until Chapter 6. More Kudos to anyone who knows where I got Arya's name from! See you all next chapter!**


	4. Familial Ties

**Welcome to chapter 4! I haven't quite finished chapter 6 yet, but it's at a point where I'm happy that I won't make any mistakes and break my own story's cannon. A word of warning: Jade might seem a little OOC in this chapter, but that is because I believe that Lythia would be a really touchy subject for him, touchier than fomicry in my mind.**

 **Disclaimer: Tales of the Abyss - not mine. Lythia is.**

* * *

 **Familial Ties**

 _~11 months before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

The fury of Jade Curtiss was not something that many people got to witness, but the man made special exceptions for Emperor Peony. Lythia silently snickered, listening from the door to Peony's rooms as Jade yelled at the blonde Emperor. She would have waited a few minutes before entering but Lythia remembered that there was more than one reason why she had come to her Lord Brothers rooms.

"Lord Brother," she called as she entered. "The God-Generals Dist, Legretta and Arietta have come for an audience with you. The guard wouldn't tell me why."

Lythia frowned as she said that, remembering the way that the guard's expression had twisted into sneer, and how he had said that it was something for Peony's ears only. She looked at Jade with a slight smirk. Time for a small act.

"Oh hello Jade," she said, dropping all titles as she spoke. "I absolutely didn't know that you were in here. What a surprise!"

The reason for Jade's anger was obvious now, since he was holding in his hand the hair tie that had kept the braid, that Lythia had made in his hair, together. As Peony had predicted, the man's hair had become wavy and nigh impossible to straighten after a full night in a braid. Lythia quietly applauded as she managed to stop herself from grinning at the sight of normally perfectly straight hair being interrupted on one side of Jade's head by waves.

"Anyway," Lythia continued, lifting her hand to her chin purposely, so that the sleeve of the dress she had worn, instead of her uniform, fell to reveal old, white scars. "The guard said that Legretta would be back later today."

Lythia managed to keep a straight face, but she could see Peony grinning as they both observed Jade staring at the scars on her arm. For the sake of keeping Jade's questions to a minimum, Lythia kept her head straight ahead, careful not to turn lest she reveal her gold vine hair clip that she had placed in her hair for the first time in years. One question at a time.

Letting her eyes fall to the scars; a jagged set of claw marks that went from her elbow, around her arm, ending about halfway down her forearm, closer to her wrist, Lythia dropped her arm and tugged the sleeve of her dress down to conceal it again.

"How did you get that scar?" Jade asked. Lythia wanted to believe that his voice shook slightly, but that was doubtful.

"I got it years ago," she replied, careful to not let memories overwhelm her. "I used to have a pet wolf, common to the northern regions. She attacked me."

The blonde woman winced as her tone died slightly. Jade didn't seem to notice, too uncharacteristically lost in thought.

"You remind me of my sister," he murmured. Blinking in surprise, Lythia spoke before she could stop the words.

"Which sister is that?" She asked, drawing Jade's attention sharply. "Nephry... or Lythia?"

The silence was deafening. It seemed to be a morning of surprises as Jade's expression morphed first into shock then once again, fury.

"How do you know that name?" He demanded, causing Peony to stand as Jade's hand twitched, glowing slightly, as if he was preparing to summon his spear. Lythia let her hand fall to her own weapon, a dagger on her belt, recognizing that she had taken a big risk blurting out what she had. As it appeared, everything Peony had claimed about Jade in the past was true.

"Twenty-four years ago, you, Jade, said something to Lythia, which caused her to run away," Lythia started, talking slowly, working to diffuse the situation. "She ran from her room in Keterburg to the docks, where she managed to stow away on a ferry to Grand Chokmah. She met with the Emperor, who offered her refuge in exchange for her power and knowledge. For her own peace of mind, Lythia abandoned her name and took up a new one. Lillian."

As Lythia spoke, Jade had fallen back upon his expressionless mask. This terrified Lythia more than anything, for in this moment she wished to see his reactions.

"I am Lythia Balfour," she said, she couldn't back down now. "I am Lythia and I can prove it."

"No one can prove they are my dead sister," Jade coldly stated. "For the one thing that would convince me, she took to her grave."

Lythia smiled tightly. Of course Jade would say that, he would cling to the logic of the matter. But the air in the room was far to tense for her liking. She had to get out.

"You want the words that you spoke that night," she murmured. "Of course you would. Not here, not now. I won't divest that information to anyone, just as you haven't either. Later, but not today."

Lythia looked at Peony, finally turning her head, letting Jade catch sight of the hair clip.

"By your leave, _your Majesty_ ," she snapped, suddenly annoyed at the Emperor. Peony nodded and she left, ignoring both men behind her. As the door slammed behind her, she noted the silence of the palace. She decided to head outside to the palace courtyard.

There, Lythia saw Legretta and Arietta talking quietly. From the frown of Legretta's face, Lythia assumed that they were discussing Dist. Lythia smiled as Arietta noticed her and waved. Sighing away her frustration, Lythia approached the pair.

"Princess Lillian," Legretta greeted. Lythia grimaced at the title.

"Please not today, Legretta," she said, rubbing her hand against her arm. "I need someone to treat me like a normal person."

"Already?" The blonde God-General asked. "A bit early to be sick of hearing your title isn't it?"

Lythia laughed.

"I've just had to deal with Emperor Peony's guards and with general disrespect all morning," she sighed, bringing her fingers to rest upon the bridge of her nose, reminiscent of the way Jade would readjust his glasses. Her tone had turned bitter. She looked down as she felt arms wrap around her waist, and saw Arietta hugging her.

"Don't frown Lillian," the young girl said. This alone caused Lythia to smile.

"And how are you Arietta?" She asked. "I didn't get to see you last time I was in Daath."

The pink haired child started talking about what she had been doing, until she started complaining about Ion's new Fon Master Guardian, Anise. Lythia decided to stop her before she could go any further.

"I just remembered," she said, feigning shock at forgetting. Arietta looked up at Lythia. "I have something for you Arietta, a gift if you will." Lythia turned to look at Legretta. "Would you mind if I took Arietta with me. I know your on official business and all, but if your free..."

The words she was going to say trailed off. Legretta sighed, glancing over her shoulder, to where Lythia assumed was the direction that Dist had disappeared in.

"Don't hurt yourselves trying to annoy some guard like you tried to do in Daath a few years ago," was all she said. Lythia and Arietta looked at each other, then back at the woman with innocent smiles on their faces.

"You must have the wrong people," Lythia demurred, before turning serious again. "I promised never to hurt Arietta. I will not back out of that promise."

Lythia held her hand out to the pink haired teen.

"Come Arietta," she said kindly. "I'll introduce you to the girls who are trying to become my handmaiden."

The two of them walked slowly to Lythia's rooms. They failed to notice Jade watching them from the shadows, nor did they notice him walk over to Legretta. Jade opened his mouth to say something, but the blonde God-General beat him to it.

"I have this feeling," she began casually, "that if placed on opposite sides of a battle field, Princess Lillian would disregard the battle lines just to make sure that Arietta was safe."

"If Lillian treats Arietta anything like the other children of Grand Chokmah, then I suspect that she would fight both armies on her own to keep that girl safe," Jade responded, trying hard to ignore the image of the gold vine clip that wrapped its way around the side of the head of the woman claiming to be his long dead sister.

"Was there something you wanted, Colonel Curtiss?" Legretta asked after several moments of silence, turning to Jade. The brunette man shook himself out of his memories as he returned his thoughts back to his task.

"Emperor Peony will see you in an hour," he said crisply. "It would be a smart idea to find Dist and drag him to the audience hall, for I doubt he is competent enough to get there on time on his own."

Somewhere in the city, a white haired man sneezed.

* * *

" _Big brother! Teach me fonic artes!"_

" _Lythia? Why do you want to learn fonic artes?"_

" _Because then I can be like you!"_

" _Like me? You want to be like me?"_

" _Uh-huh! Cause you're the bestest big brother in the world Jade!"_

" _Alright then, I'll teach you._

" _Thank-you Jade!"_

* * *

 _~10 months and 2 weeks before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Waiting, as Lythia found in the past weeks, was frustrating and painful, especially when she was waiting for her brother to confront her. Jade had been watching her and her interactions since she had confessed the truth two weeks ago. She hadn't minded much, but it had annoyed Arietta. The young God-General had been staying with Lythia with the permission of the Maestros of the Order of Lorelei while Legretta and Dist had returned to Daath, and Arietta had complained about the man when she had noticed that Jade always seemed to be where they were.

At first Lythia had told Arietta to ignore Jade, but only three days before her patience had snapped, and Lythia had started throwing looks at her snooping brother of varying degrees of frostiness. Jade's red eyes would often look away, but a few times he had met her stares with calculating glares.

Today however, Jade had been nowhere to be seen. It was late afternoon and Arietta was happily talking to Arya, while Lythia sat on the bench that was in one of the few parks that existed around Grand Chokmah, as she brushed the hair of one of the children that had gathered around her. The children of the city adored Lythia, and they were always begging for stories.

Serill and the only other remaining girl, Nyx, were standing off to the side, watching the on goings. The three girls, Arya, Serill and Nyx, where the only three who had managed to last a week in the trial to become Lythia's handmaiden. Most had left on the first day, one more had left the day after, the day that Lythia had revealed the truth to Jade, when Lythia had brought Arietta back to her rooms, ordering the girls to treat the pink haired God-General as if she were her daughter. The girl who had left had something against Arietta.

"Princess Lillian!" One of the children called, bringing Lythia's frayed attention to a boy with dark hair.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Will you tell us about the Witch Child?" the boy asked. The question made Lythia freeze slightly, before smiling.

"Why would you want to hear a scary, old story?" she asked, laughing lightly.

"Please!" the boy, and several other children, begged. Lythia let out a small sigh.

"Alright," she consented. "The Witch Child, the rumoured servant of the previous Emperors of Malkuth. She was said to have powers that were truly horrific. The criminals of the empire would be brought before the Emperor, tried, and when found guilty of crimes such as murder, would be taken to some room that apparently lies deeper than the dungeons. There, the voice of a young girl is heard before all sound is blocked by fonic glyphs."

All the children had their eyes upon Lythia as she spoke.

"Does this room exist?" one girl called. Lythia laughed.

"If it does," she replied, letting her eyes close, "I've never seen it. And quite frankly, I don't think I'd want to."

Lythia smiled, casting her gaze over the group of children as they rose to her bait, begging to know why she didn't want to see the room in her story. The eyes of the children sparkled with delight and eagerness, which Lythia revelled in.

"Because, it's said," Lythia began, leaning forward for dramatic effect, "that whoever enters that room never... comes… out."

The children were silent and wide eyed, so Lythia waited for a few moments.

"Boo!" she exclaimed, causing the children to jump in surprise. They all looked at each other, before bursting into laughter. The sound made Lythia's smile widen as the children started chattering to each other. Her smile fell however when she noticed the familiar face of Jade leaning against one of the trees in the area. He gave her a small sign indicating that he wanted her to follow. With a sigh Lythia called Serill, Nyx and Arya over to her.

"I want you three to go back to the Imperial palace," she commanded. "I need to talk to Colonel Curtiss in private."

The three girls nodded, before walking off. Lythia turned back to the children and gave her apologies and farewells before striding off.

"Arietta!" she called as she walked, feeling the girl's hands wrap around the fabric of the dress that Lythia rarely wore. "I am going to be talking to Jade now, Arietta, you can go back to the palace and wait for me, or you can go explore Grand Chokmah."

Arietta nodded then waved her goodbye with a small smile, running off in the direction of the palace. Lythia watched her go, before walking over to Jade, glancing behind her to see the group of children playing chase.

"A curious tale you told them," her brother's voice said with casual inflection. Lythia looked back at Jade, sighing at his statement.

"That is all it is," she replied, "a story and myth that has passed around the children of this age. Come, let us walk. It is pointless for us to discuss what we need to here in the open."

Jade agreed, acting the perfect gentleman in the crowded streets of the city, and led Lythia to the outskirts of Grand Chokmah. The sun was setting, causing a purple light to wash around the two as they stood, next to one of the great waterfalls. Silence sat uncomfortably between the two. Lythia closed her eyes, waiting for Jade to speak, but the silence extended until it was clear to Lythia that it wouldn't be broken anytime soon.

"Whatever you want to say Jade, say it now," Lythia commanded softly, keeping her eyes closed so that she wouldn't see the expression on her brother's face. "I shan't wait forever."

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 **Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Yes - I added Arietta, she is literally the cutest character I have ever met. She will be another important character in the story.**

 **Please review! Tell me your thoughts!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **Unimportant Notes:**

 **Of all the God-Generals, Lythia adores Arietta and respects Legretta. She hasn't come face to face with Dist since she ran away from Keterburg. Largo, Sync and Asch she has seen occasionally around Daath. That's all I have to say in these notes. Bye!**


	5. Facing Reality

**Hey readers! I'm posting this in celebration of my completion of all my assessment for my course this trimester; I'm now free until classes start up for next tri!**

 **Anywho! This is offically the shortest chapter of this story being only 948 words long. The reason this is; I want this confrontation to remain unadulterated by any other story plotlines. Lythia and Jade are finally facing who they are and what has happened - hence this confrontation being only singled out into one chapter.**

 **I shan't post any chapter notes at the end of this chapter. There isn't any to post and it would spoil the emotion. Please e** **njoy!**

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 **Facing Reality**

 _The sun was setting, causing a purple light to wash around the two as they stood, next to one of the great waterfalls. Silence sat uncomfortably between the two. Lythia closed her eyes, waiting for Jade to speak, but the silence extended until it was clear to Lythia that it wouldn't be broken anytime soon._

" _Whatever you want to say Jade, say it now," Lythia commanded softly, keeping her eyes closed so that she wouldn't see the expression on her brother's face. "I shan't wait forever."_

* * *

" _Brother! I've been practicing my artes, the ones you helped me create!"_

" _Have you Lythia? Alright then, show me your power."_

" _O light of the heavens, guide my hand… Smite!"_

" _Good, Lythia, good. What about your other arte?"_

" _Of course Jade. O heavenly hearth, fall to earth… Holy Fire!"_

" _Perfect, little sister, keep practicing and you'll be able to master all your artes."_

" _Hehehe~ I love you Jade!"_

It had truly been a long time since Lythia had cast her old artes, but in this moment, she was seriously considering sending a Smite at Jade to shock him out of the silence that seemed to plague him. Thankfully he spoke before she could make up her mind on the matter.

"Lythia Balfour is dead," he said, surprising Lythia. "No one can be her; because there was no way that she survived a cold night in snow wilds of the north."

With a sigh, Lythia pulled her sleeve up, revealing the scar on her arm, tracing the old lines.

"Must we go through this Jade?" she asked. "Must I repeat the words I've tried so hard to forget?"

"Yes."

Silence fell over them once again, as Lythia considered what she wanted to say in that moment.

"I said those exact words, you know," she murmured after a few moments. "'Lythia Balfour is dead.' I said them in Keterburg over two months ago. Nephry scolded me for it. Heh. 'Lythia Balfour is dead', 'Jade Balfour is dead.' I said that and yet Nephry never once told me off for saying you were dead. Perhaps Jade Balfour is dead."

Jade remained silent, annoying Lythia. She let out a sharp sigh. Opening her eyes, she stared at the great waterfall that they were near.

"Jade… if I died… would you replicate me as if it were nothing?" she asked, pitching her voice so that it was childlike and sounded like her nine year old self. She ignored the strangled intake of breath from her brother as she continued speaking.

"Of course I would Lythia, because it is nothing and you wouldn't be dead anymore."

That Lythia said without any changed tone, not bothering to try and imitate her brother.

"I thought that I meant more to you than that, Jade… Perhaps I was wrong… again…" she continued in her childish voice, before once again returning her voice to normal. "Lythia? What are you talking about? Hey! Where are you going?"

Lythia finally turned to face her brother, as she finished reciting the conversation with a cold tone.

"Away."

She almost swore she saw Jade flinch at the singular word as she bit it out. Lythia saw his face, the way it fought hard to remain expressionless, and she was overcome with doubt.

"Why couldn't you love me, Jade?" She asked in a voice that dripped with nearly twenty four years worth of resentment, pain and sorrow. "Why couldn't I ever impress you enough? Why was I never important enough for your attention? Why was Saphir always better than me?"

The questions tumbled out of Lythia's mouth as years of keeping her feelings locked up broke free. She ignored the tears that freely fell down her face as her questions became more desperate.

"Why couldn't you care enough about me? Why didn't you care that I ran away? Why didn't you bother trying to prove I was alive? Did Saphir convince you that I was unimportant? Did you tell Nephry that there was no hope that I'd come back? Why? Why didn't you?"

Lythia stopped, interrupted by her own sobs, she buried her face in her hands. She didn't notice when Jade approached her carefully, and she vaguely registered him drawing her into his embrace. Jade's hand pressed her head against his chest, the way he had done when they were children.

"Forgive me Lythia," he murmured. "I have no right to ask you that after everything I have said that has hurt you, as both Lythia and Lillian, but I beg for it anyway."

Lythia continued sobbing, weakly hitting her fists against her brother.

"I hate you," she sobbed. "I hate you so much. I hate you for saying that you'd replicate me if I died. I hate everything about you. I hate you so much. I hate how much you ignored me. I hate that you pushed me away. I hate you for doing all that. I hate that you looked at Lillian like she was poison. I hate that I understood why you did. I hate that I forgave you."

She had stopped hitting at her brother's chest, now just crying in his arms as she ended her diatribe in with a whisper.

"And I hate that I was such a coward."

The two of them stood there in silence, the sun long since set, the only sound coming from the pair being the occasional muffled sob from Lythia as she clung to her older brother almost desperately, as if she didn't quite believe that he was there. Though the man didn't know, if anyone had been watching the pair they would have seen tears slowly slide down his cheeks.

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 **...**

 **Please R &R**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**


	6. Bond of Siblings

**Hello again! Did I leave off on an emotional cliffhanger of sorts? Forgive me, I'll try and remember to throw you all a rope to hang onto next time! Anyway, welcome to the next chapter! I haven't quite finished chapter 7 yet, but I'm almost there, and I have reached game point so I have a script that I can follow (but mostly change). Please forgive this chapter, I mention some party/grand ball that Peony throws but I'm afraid I won't be typing it. I used it as an excuse to have Lythia in Keterburg and Jade in Daath. Sumimasen... I tried to reveal more of Lythia's interactions around Nephry and also reveal more of her own personal values and what makes her annoyed and etc.**

 **Enjoy reading!**

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 **Bond of Siblings**

 _~10 months before Fall of Akzeriuth – Lythia~_

Lythia snarled as she tugged at the sleeve of the formal dress that Nephry had forced her into, listening to Serill and Nyx argue over something in the background, as Arya ran the comb through the ward princess' hair. Lythia was in Keterburg again, just two weeks after she and Jade had reconciled, being fussed over by her younger sister at Peony's request. The Emperor decided that he wanted to have a complete official reveal of her identity and a gathering of the court to accommodate it. One of the many duties that Lythia hated as Princess of Malkuth was having to attend the social dances that Peony put on.

"Milady, did you wish to wear your hair clip?" Arya asked, distracting Lythia from cursing Peony under her breath.

"Yes, Arya," Lythia said, hands twitching to start picking at threads. "It would be best if I wore it."

This statement drew the confused look of the child, but Lythia offered no explanation. Arya asked Serill to get the gold clip while she requested Nyx to continue with the braid that she was making. Lythia closed her eyes and listened to the three girls as they moved about the room, which was Nephry's, as they worked.

"Dearest," called Nephry's voice in a tone that almost caused her older sister to flinch, making Lythia open her eyes again. "Emperor Peony is expecting you in a few hours, and your ferry leaves soon."

"I know Nephry," the blonde woman replied. "I fail to understand why my Lord Brother decided to send me all the way here when I'm just heading back to Grand Chokmah afterwards."

Lythia heard Nyx, Serill and Arya be shooed away by Nephry, watching her younger sister take over from Nyx in the braiding of her hair, and carefully weave the gold vine clip into the strands of hair that composed the braid.

"You, dearest sister," Nephry said quietly, "took so long in revealing the truth to Jade, that this grand party is the only way to tell the entirety of the Malkuth Empire in any sort of efficiency."

The ward princess would have snarled at that if Nephry hadn't placed a hand over Lythia's mouth.

"I'm joking Lythia," Nephry sighed. "Peony just loves to have an excuse to get you out of your uniform and into a dress at a formal occasion. You know this."

Lythia conceded defeat with a sigh. Their conversation ended, and Nephry continued to pull her older sister's hair into place, a comfortable silence drifting around the two.

 _~10 months before Fall of Akzeriuth – Jade~_

In that moment, Jade felt like he could happily kill Emperor Peony. The man had given Lythia and Jade two weeks to work out their relationship before making an official announcement. The brunette soldier could understand his sister's fear of the truth now, after talking with her a few days ago. She had admitted that at first she had only feared his reaction, but then, as she came to understand the people that Peony ruled over she started to fear how the people of Malkuth would react.

Daath. Peony had sent Jade to Daath, why, Jade didn't know, something to do with Fon Master Ion.

"Colonel Curtiss," came the voice of the Fon Master, drawing Jade away from his thoughts. "How surprising it is to see you in Daath."

"Fon Master," Jade greeted. The young Fon Master was walking from the direction of the library.

"There can only be one reason you are here," Ion said with a smile. "Princess Lythia has finally told the truth has she?"

Jade grimaced at the title Ion used for his sister. Noticing this, Ion smiled.

"Come with me, Colonel Curtiss," he said, indicating to the doors that lead to the chapel. The two men entered the chapel and walked towards one of the great pillars.

"How has the truth affected you?" Ion asked quietly, as to not let his voice echo. Jade pushed his glasses back into place on his nose.

"It's not that hard to get used to," the Malkuth Colonel replied vaguely.

"The children of the Balfour family seem to have this habit of dancing around problems," Ion said, almost as if he hadn't heard Jade speak. "I guess it would be safe to say that you and Lythia haven't truly addressed the problem you are facing here."

"Is there really much of a problem to face?" Jade asked. Ion looked up at the stained glass window at the far end of the chapel.

"Lythia will want to try and mix the past with the present," the Fon Master murmured. "She will want to regain the childhood she lost, while also trying to maintain her life as it is now. She will be confused."

"That is a foolish endeavour," Jade said before he could stop himself. "We aren't children anymore."

Ion turned back to Jade with a smile on his face.

"You and Lythia are so alike," he stated almost wistfully. "If you would heed my advice in this matter, when she acts like a child, indulge her. Let her escape her duties as Princess of Malkuth for a few minutes. She did spend the rest of her childhood getting dragged into all kinds of power struggles between Emperor Peony's older siblings."

This made Jade freeze slightly as he remembered the reason why Peony had been confined to Keterburg. How did Lythia fall into that power play? More questions that he would have to ask his sister it seems.

The two of them left the chapel soon after, and Jade made to travel back to Grand Chokmah.

* * *

" _Now, Thia, which of these glasses has the poisoned wine?"_

" _That one, my lady."_

" _Good girl. When I am queen, you, my sister, shall be my closest advisor."_

" _Yes, my lady. I await the day when my council will help you."_

" _Ah, Thia, there is no need to be so formal around me. My father adopted you, so you are my sister."_

" _Of course, my lady sister, my apologies."_

* * *

 _~7 months before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Lythia shivered at the hostile gaze of a group of soldiers as she walked through the halls of the Malkuth Military Headquarters. Three months since Peony made his crazy "official announcement" and Lythia felt like she had lost the support of the majority of Grand Chokmah. No one was foolish enough to try and send assassins into the palace, but the ward princess felt that it was only a matter of time.

Ignoring the glares, the blonde woman continued towards her brother's office, slapping the pages in her hand against her leg, causing the glaring soldiers to look away. Lythia almost laughed at how she still managed to command the same level of respect that she used to, despite the hostility that was shown. Perhaps it was the fact that she still walked around insisting that she was called Major instead of Princess.

"Major Balfour," called the voice of Brigadier General Aslan Frings. The blonde woman spun on her heel to face the man.

"Yes sir?" She asked. Her tight tone and light smile had him frowning.

"I believe, Major," he started in a disapproving way, "that you claimed that you could hold your act together."

Lythia's expression turned sour.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" She asked, continuing at General Frings nod. "It has been three months since Peony's grand plan to reveal my name. I have shown time and time again that I am the same person I always was. Why does my family name suddenly change everything?"

"Necromancer," is all Frings said turning around to walk away. He stopped and threw parting words over his shoulder.

"Remember Major, once Arietta agrees, you step down."

"Gladly," Lythia murmured, continuing on her way. Necromancer. Of course. She was suddenly the little sister to the Necromancer. With a sigh she knocked on the door to Jade's office. Hearing him call her in she opened the door slightly, slipped through the gap and shut the door behind her. She noticed Peony was in the room, with a growl she walked forward and pulled his head towards the ground by his hair.

"Ow! Lythia!" he complained, trying to extract his hair from Lythia's vice grip. Lythia's grip only tightened.

"Do you think I've forgiven your comment from yesterday?" she snapped. "Yeah, I know what the citizens of this city are saying about me, but you don't need to joke about it. The rumours about the Witch Child are as ancient as your father. He died, so let those rumours die with him."

Jade watched the scene with a rare smile, glad that Lythia had entered his office and stopping the Emperor from ranting.

"Let go Lythia!" Peony exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that! You aren't the Witch Child! Can you let go of my hair?!"

Hate flashed in the blonde woman's eyes, but she released her fingers from Peony's hair, turning to her brother instead.

"It's time that I choose my handmaiden," she said quietly. "Nyx left when I revealed myself as Lythia Balfour, she had something against you. One more test is needed, and I need your help, brother."

"A test for Serill and Arya?" Jade asked, tilting his head to the side. His sister pulled out a small packet which both Jade and Peony recognized.

"More like a test for Serill," she replied tossing the packet to the red eyed man in front of her. "Would I be able to trouble you to don Kimlascan armour and do some kind of flashy surprise attack? I have this feeling I know what the outcome will be."

Jade agreed to play the part of an assassin from Kimlasca, so Peony and Lythia went back to the palace. At least, Lythia went, dragging Malkuth's wayward Emperor behind her. There she told Peony to clear the guards in the hallways. She then walked back to her rooms where she called out to the two remaining girls.

"Serill, could I bother you for some tea," Lythia requested with a smile. "And Arya, I left several books written in Ancient Ispanian on my shelf, could you please bring them to me. They should be thin volumes, three of them."

"Yes milady," the girls said in unison, before running off to do their respective duties. Arya returned with the three books that Lythia requested, and began brushing the ward princess' hair. Serill returned soon after with a tray of tea. The ornamental cup held a faint odor that made Lythia's stomach curl. She brought the tea to her lips and pretended to take a sip.

"Thank-you Serill," she murmured, before she set the cup down. "Oh, I just realized that I need to go talk to my Lord Brother about something, will you two please come with me?"

Serill and Arya nodded, and Lythia stood, picking up her books, and making sure that her knife was at her side, she walked out into the hallway, smiling as she noted the lack of palace guards. She also noticed Jade lurking in the shadows, in Kimlascan military uniform as promised, his spear at the ready.

The two girls walked two steps behind Lythia as she walked towards the palace entrance hall. She opened one of the thin books in her hands in small signal to Jade. Everything after that happened in a span of less than a minute. Jade ran forward with his spear ready to strike Lythia. Almost a fraction too late, Arya grabbed the knife from Lythia's sheath and swung it at Jade, causing the man to jump back. Instead of pausing to assess the situation however, Arya ran at Jade and tried to cut his upper arm.

Arya and Serill froze when Lythia started clapping. They looked at the ward princess in shock.

"Well that certainly was interesting, wasn't it Jade?" Lythia asked, as her brother pulled his hair out of the ponytail he had tied it in.

"That it was quite interesting indeed," he replied. "A skillful retainer you could have in this one."

Lythia nodded and turned to Serill.

"Arrest her," she said emotionlessly. "She has tried to assassinate me several times during her stay as handmaiden."

Walking behind the stunned child, she snatched a small packet out of Serill's pocket. It was exactly the same as the one that Lythia had handed Jade earlier.

"Serill of House Cadraes, I hope you know that nightshade is archaic. Your plan to poison me would never have worked, my Lady Sister, before she died, taught me to recognize poisoned consumables."

Serill Cadraes looked upon Lythia with contempt in her eyes.

"You killed my father, Witch Child!" She spat. This surprised Lythia and Jade.

"You believe the rumors flying around?" The blonde woman asked. "The Witch Child has been dead for years. They died with Emperor Karl the fifth."

The child before her lunged, but was stopped by Jade who dragged her out of the hallway to Lorelei knows where. When they were gone, Lythia turned to Arya, who had shifted closer to the princess.

"Well, I guess that means that you are my handmaiden then," Lythia commented, drawing the black haired child's attention. "You would like to have that position wouldn't you?"

"Yes milady," Arya stated as neutrally as possible. "I would love to be your handmaiden, but..."

"What will happen to Serill?" Lythia finished. "Most likely she'll have a prison cell to live in for the next couple of months. My Lord Brother cannot exactly execute a child. Do not worry about it Arya, I knew that someone would try for my life the moment I decided to face my past, I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, or any child."

Lythia continued walking in the direction of the palace entrance hall, intent on finding Peony.

"I'd say prepare yourself, Arya," Lythia said to the child walking with her. I have this feeling that we shall have a few months of calm now before the storm."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed reading! Please review when you're finished - reviews are love!**

 **Oh dear, how utterly confusing! xD Witch Child? What is this "Witch Child" that keeps popping up? And why was Serill convinced that Lythia is this Witch Child? And what is this deal that Frings and Lythia were discussing? And lets not forget Jade's own question of: How did Lythia fall into the power struggles of Peony's older siblings?**

 **So that's all for this chapter! I'll see you all next time! Oh and here is that rope I promised! *throws figurative rope* Until next time!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **Unimportant notes:**

 **As you can see, Jade and Lythia have similar reactions to certain things - namely certain titles, and in the next chapter, surprisingly, names. There is still 24 years worth of lies to overturn, despite the fact that they have mended the gap between them.**

 **As you might be able to guess - Arietta is important. More important things include Lythia's relationship that she had with Peony's siblings, which will be revealed later. Yes there are plenty more secrets to be revealed.**


	7. Broken Peace

**Hello again to my viewers! While I'm here I'd like to thank presea221, for being a constant reviewer, and Defiance of Fate, for helping me work out the kinks in this story. I hope I didn't leave you on a bad cliffhanger, cause if I did then you'll hate the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter. I'm not sorry. So without further ado: Chapter 7! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Broken Peace**

 _~6 weeks and 5 days before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Listening to the council men argue was not how Lythia wanted to spend her day, but alas, once again she was watching two representatives from some of the Minor houses argue against each other with a representative of one of the Major houses occasionally made casual imput.

"I do believe gentlemen," Lythia snapped, her eyes closed and brow creased, "that this argument has progressed far enough. I fail to see your point though, Lord Vyathir. How does starting a war with Kimlasca gain us anything?"

The man turned to face Lythia with a slight sneer on his face. Lythia still hadn't regained the lost respect from some of the council members even after almost eight months.

"Princess Lythia," the man said in a condescending tone. "It is not your place to understand the delicate art of war."

Lythia's eyes snapped open, flashing with anger. In a fluid movement she walked towards the dark haired lord, drawing her rapier from her side and slashes the weapon forward with an upward stroke that would have sliced the man's chest open if she hadn't stopped her hand when the blade was an inch from Vyathir's body.

"It would serve you well to remember that I was one of the soldiers who fought in the Hod War fifteen years ago," she growled. "I saw first-hand the effect of the war upon this country. No matter what you say, you _cannot_ justify another war with Kimlasca. Nothing will come out of yet another war with the kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. _Never_ insinuate that just because I am the princess I don't know how war works, for you, Lord Andreas of House Vyathir, know very well that despite twenty-four years of living with the name Lillian, I still am a Major of the Third Division, of our Imperial Forces."

She sheathed her weapon and addressed the room.

"I will not sanction war with Kimlasca until they are openly hostile, at which time, should my Lord Brother remain reluctant, I will join you in your attempts to convince him."

"Princess," she heard the voice of General Frings, and she winced at his use of her title.

"Yes General?" she asked, looking towards the white haired man.

"Emperor Peony wishes to speak to you privately," the man said. Lythia left the room, listening to the dead silence that filled it with a smile. Sometimes, very rarely at that, Lythia loved being the Princess.

"What did you do to them Lythia?" Peony asked, his hand brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve as the blonde woman approached him.

"Nothing much," Lythia replied with a grin. "But I wouldn't be surprised if someone demands my execution."

"Nothing much and they'll be demanding your execution?" Peony spluttered. "What would they call for should you suddenly go rogue?"

"The same thing," she replied cheerfully. Peony shuddered as the blonde woman yet again showed that she was indeed Jade's sister.

"Well, the council aside," he stated, growing serious, causing the grin to slip from Lythia's face slightly. "I need you to accompany Jade on a mission."

"Where are you sending us?" she asked.

"Daath, then Baticul," the Emperor replied. "I'm sending you on a mission of peace. Jade will explain the rest to you, so go now."

With a salute and a quick goodbye Lythia ran off, leaving a chuckling Peony behind her. Along the way she saw Arya talking to Caius, her newest retainer, in addition to Arya, who had taken up the position as her retainer as well as handmaiden. They were wearing fitted Malkuth military uniforms which Lythia really didn't like, but couldn't do anything about until they reached the age of eighteen.

"Good to see you both here," she said, slowing to a walk. "I'm glad your both wearing the uniforms I had you get. Come, we must go meet Colonel Curtiss."

* * *

 _"Hello brother."_

 _"Lythia."_

 _"Is there a reason why you are looking at my file?"_

 _"How much has changed in twenty-four years?"_

 _"A lot Jade, but how is that relevant?"_

 _"I've just noticed that your artes are darker."_

 _"Darker yes, but no less powerful."_

 _"Perhaps more powerful?"_

 _"I don't care if they are more powerful or not. They helped me hide who I was."_

 _"I suppose they did. Can you still cast them? Your old artes?"_

 _"O light of the heavens, guide my hand… Smite!"_

 _"So you can. Not much has changed it seems, while at the same time everything has."_

 _"Are you alright brother? It's not like you to speak such common riddles."_

 _"Oh I'm fine."_

* * *

 _~6 weeks and 2 days before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

"You, there! Move your coach before you get caught in the crossfire!"

Chasing the Dark Wings was annoying. Lythia knew this, Jade knew this. However, her brother still insisted that they go after the fontech vehicle that the bandits rode.

"I swear to Lorelei, Jade Curtiss, if these damned bandits get away I will personally murder you," Lythia growled with a glare at her brother. She watched the passenger coach that Jade had called out to swerve to get out of the way. She sympathized in them, before returning her attention to the men on the bridge.

"Commander!" The soldier closet to Lythia called. "Enemy has crossed Rotelro Bridge! They are putting gunpowder on the bridge!"

Lythia walked behind the soldier, watching him assess what was happening.

"My, my. They intend to drop the bridge do they?" The crimson eyed man asked cheerfully.

" _Brother_ ," Lythia snapped, aiming another glare at him.

"Fon slot activation detected!" Called the soldier in front of Lythia.

"The enemy set off fonic artes using the Fifth fonon!" Another soldier called. "The bridge is going to explode!"

Jade looked at his furious sister as he gave the command for the Tartarus to stop. Her violet eyes screamed retribution. Well he was saved from whatever pain she wanted to put him through by Caius walking up to her with a report. Lythia stopped glaring daggers at Jade as her full attention was focused on her young retainer. Then she followed the boy off the bridge with one last chilling glare at her brother.

Walking the corridors of the Tartarus was interesting when Caius and Arya were together, even more so, verging on amusing, when Lythia was with them. The two children would get confused and argue over which doors where the right ones. Such was the same now, as Arya had been waiting for Caius to extract Lythia from the bridge. With a smile, the ward princess of Malkuth, followed the two children as they fought.

* * *

 _~6 weeks and 1 day before Fall of Akzeriuth - Engeve~_

"Fon Master," Lythia called. "Why are you so intent on searching the storehouse?"

Engeve was a lovely town, Lythia always enjoyed visiting the villagers and she knew that she had their unwavering loyalty. She was glad for that. At current, Lythia was following Fon Master Ion through the empty storehouse of the innkeeper, Kelly.

"I have to know who stole the food Lythia," Ion replied, picking up something from the corner, turning back to the woman with him. "And it appears that I have discovered who."

"Cheagle fur?" Lythia exclaimed, plucking the pale fur out of the Fon Master's hands and raising it to her eye level. She placed it back into Ion's hands, then brought her finger to her chin in contemplation. Suddenly, she remembered something, a letter she had received a few days ago from Arietta. It had mentioned something about cheagles and ligers. She had a feeling that the letter held important information, but Lythia couldn't recall that information.

Arya ran into the storehouse with a panicked look on her face.

"Milady!" she called, desperately. "Caius found that letter you showed me when I first became your handmaiden!"

"Which letter wa_?" Lythia's question snapped off, as her eyes widened in horrible realisation. "No… Forgive me Fon Master, I have to go."

The green haired boy watched with a wry smile as the blonde haired woman chased after the black haired child.

* * *

 _~6 weeks and 1 day before Fall of Akzeriuth – The Tartarus~_

Lythia hated when her safety measures failed. The one letter she kept hidden from _everyone_ was discovered on chance by her retainer. Curses upon Peony's dead sister. Lythia had left Arya on the bridge of the Tartarus as she went to find her other young retainer. Caius was looking at the top of the letter, it seemed to mostly folded, causing Lythia to suspect that he hadn't read far before he had stopped.

"Lythia Kari Malkuth," the teen murmured.

"Yes, that is the name that I was given when I was taken into the Emperor's family," Lythia said blandly, causing the boy to jump. The blonde woman snatched the paper from Caius' hands, folding it neatly and placing it in her uniform pocket.

"No one ever says it around the palace," he stated, confused.

"Of course not," Lythia replied, indicating for Caius to follow her through the corridor of the Tartarus. "There is hardly anyone in the palace who knows that name. Even Emperor Peony doesn't know that name."

"But_?"

The lightly tanned hand of Lythia cut Caius' question off before he could ask it.

"You will not tell anyone, not even the Emperor, that name, nor tell anyone anything you may have read in that letter," Lythia ordered quietly. When Caius had nodded, Lythia let a gentle smile form on her face.

"Thank-you child," she whispered, before raising her voice cheerfully. "Now, since we are here, why don't we go collect Arya and then see if we can convince Captain Eden to spar, see if we can't jog that memory of yours?"

She placed her hand on the teen's head, ruffling his brown hair lightly. Lythia remembered the day, about a month ago, he had come to the palace, asking for work, unable to answer questions asked of him because of his amnesia. All he knew was his name. Jade had verified his claim of amnesia, and Lythia had taken pity on the teen, taking him on as her retainer. He seemed to be quite good at fonic artes and he could use a staff with great skill.

The two of them walked to the bridge, and Lythia sighed as she saw Jade talking quietly to Arya.

"Stop trying to corrupt my retainer, Jade," the woman complained lightly to her brother. The wicked grin that she was given in return had Lythia suspicious, but she said nothing about it.

"Ah, Major Balfour," Jade said, both siblings twitching slightly at the name. "How kind of you to join us, perhaps you can end this debate?"

Lythia tilted her head to the side, silently telling her brother to continue.

"Young Arya here believes that the Emperor's sister died at the hands of an assassin," the brunette soldier stated, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "I, however, am quite certain that it was confirmed that the princess died due to poisoning."

"It's not possible for my lady's adopted sister to have died of poison," Arya interrupted snappishly. "She taught Lady Lythia about poisons. There is no way she'd_"

"Arya."

The black haired girl fell silent as Lythia's cold voice rang out loudly, her eyes glinted like steel.

"It doesn't matter how my lady sister died," she said, her voice frosted and hard. Her eyes flicked to the left, away from the faces of Jade and Arya. "I don't know how she died; I only know that she did."

Jade's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he didn't say anything. Beside him, the young black haired girl shivered. The cold atmosphere seemed to lift as Lythia muttered something in Ancient Ispanian, before smiling and brushing her fringe away from her eyes.

"Arya. Caius and I were about to go spar, would you care to join us?" She asked, as if she hadn't just spoken with frozen tones. All the child could do was nod her ascent and follow as the blonde haired woman walked back off the bridge. Jade followed them, claiming to wanting to make sure that they didn't destroy his ship with their attacks.

* * *

"Arya, arm up! Your rapier is lighter and moves easier than Caius' staff and you must move and defend him while he is casting. You don't have time to let your arm rest! Attack Colonel Curtiss like you did months ago!"

Lythia called out correction after correction at her two young retainers as they worked together to try and knock down Jade, who had grudgingly agreed to be their target. In the hour that the bout had progressed, both siblings had shouted out their fair share of advice, even if Jade's had been thrown out as insults.

Arya ran forward again, growling in frustration, trying to keep the modified weapon in her hand raised high. The rapier in question was a fair bit shorter than the one that Lythia wielded, to accommodate the child's young age. The black haired girl cried out in shock as Jade's lance knocked her weapon out of her hand, and she quickly jumped away.

"Milady, this is different from then!" Arya complained. Lythia called a halt to the fight, and Caius allowed the fonons he had gathered to disperse as Arya picked her rapier off the floor. The blonde woman walked to stand beside her brother.

"Is it really?" she asked, pulling out her knife that always slept in her sleeve. Handing the knife to Jade, she suddenly found the blade at her neck and her arm restrained behind her.

"How about now?" she asked, quite calmly. "Is this still different? In a mock battle such as our sparring, same as the mock ambush that was set up to catch out Serill, the combatants simply act out a scenario where the outcome is unknown. The victory is dependent on the combatants' skill and experience on the battlefield."

Caius frowned, tapping his finger against the wooden pole of the practice staff he had been using.

"Therefore, you are saying that we should treat our opponent's in the sparring ring as enemies?" he asked. Jade handed Lythia her knife back and released her arm. The brunette man then cast his gaze upon the boy.

"That is exactly what she is saying," he replied. "Now, Lythia, it is time for the children to go to bed. They have a long walk to St Binah tomorrow."

The two siblings started laughing as Arya and Caius protested. With a smile, Lythia ordered her retainers to pack up their weapons. The children did so, as Lythia and Jade spoke quietly in the corner. The blonde woman had seemingly forgotten her annoyance from that morning, or perhaps she was just waiting for the right time to get her revenge.

* * *

 _~6 weeks before Fall of Akzeriuth – Lythia~_

Her brother had helped kill the Liger Queen. That was all her mind focused on. She didn't care that the man had brought back two strays, or that the red haired one was extremely rude. Lythia only cared that Jade had helped kill Arietta's mother. The blonde woman was furious, but understood that there was no time to think of the aftermath when one was trying to protect the Fon Master. Though, she kind of wished that she hadn't stayed on the Tartarus when Jade followed Ion and his unlikely companions into Cheagle Woods.

"I will try to talk Arietta out of revenge killing, brother dearest," Lythia had said with a poisonous tone, as he went to interrogate the people who had been accompanying the Fon Master. "I cannot however say I will stop her from maiming you."

How she found herself face to face with the people who her brother had brought aboard the ship was a good question. Apparently Jade had told them to ask around and learn about the people on the Tartarus. So here she was.

"Hello," Lythia greeted pleasantly, avoiding a noble speech pattern deliberately. "Are you the two strays that Colonel Curtiss collected from Engeve?"

The red haired boy looked indignant and opened his mouth, probably to make a rude retort if his expression was anything to go by, but he was stopped by the woman beside him.

"Greetings, I'm Tear Grants," she introduced herself, before indicating to the red head. "This is Luke."

"Luke fon Fabre?" Lythia asked with interest. "I've heard a bit about you from Dorian General Grants during my numerous visits to Daath. Are you then, Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants, his sister that he has also told me a bit about?"

"You know Master Van?" Luke asked eagerly. _He sure changed his tune quickly_ , Lythia mused. She looked at the boy, noting his appearance with interest.

"Yes, I do know Van Grants," she replied, before tilting her head to the side with a probing expression. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone named Asch would you?"

Confusion was evident on both their faces, so the blonde haired woman dismissed her question with a wave.

"Nevermind. Anyway, I am Major Lythia Balfour," she said. Turning to Tear, she spoke in the most cryptic voice she could muster. "If the name Fende means anything to you, be weary of the son of that family. I don't know his intentions, but his recent activity in Daath has aroused my suspicion."

Tear's eyes narrowed slightly as she nodded at the Major. Casting an assessing glance over the woman, Lythia smiled, seeing that Tear understood.

"Colonel Curtiss is a good man," the blonde woman sighed, turning away from the two, ignoring Luke's indignant protests. "His men trust him and would follow him to hell and back."

"Hah," the red haired noble snorted; his voice arrogant once again. "You speak as if you wouldn't do the same."

Lythia looked over her shoulder with a devilish smirk that could rival her brother's.

"My good nobleman, I have already seen hell and unfortunately for my superior officers, only our Emperor Peony can order me back there."

With a wave she headed towards the bridge, where the soldiers were going about their work as she had ordered. When greeted by the soldiers she nodded and signalled for them to continue working. She hoped for an uneventful trip, sadly she wouldn't get that.

About an hour later and she noticed the presence of an intruder, she shouted out some orders before she focused on summoning fonons.

" _O mystic veil that separates life and dea__ "

Her arte was cut off by someone hitting her over the back of her head. The last thing she heard was an annoyingly familiar, grating voice speaking to the men on the bridge, before her consciousness faded.

* * *

 _~6 weeks before Fall of Akzeriuth – Jade~_

Leaving the fiery red head alone, guarding the door felt like a bad omen to Jade, unfortunately he had a job to do and the decision to leave Luke as the watch had already been made. Thankfully it didn't take too long to secure the bridge. The brunette man was concerned when he noticed Lythia's rapier lying on the ground, not having heard the captain report his sister's status before contact was lost. He picked up the weapon and then he and Tear ran back to Luke.

Sometimes Jade wonders if he had precognitive abilities, for when they opened the door there was a dead Oracle Knight and a shaking Luke next to the corpse.

"What happened?" the melodist demanded, running over to their wayward noble.

"I… I stabbed him…." Luke murmured with horror, causing the Malkuth Colonel to sigh. "I… killed him…"

A voice from above called out.

"If you're scared of killing, then throw away your sword, you worthless reject!"

Ice rained down, knocking out Luke and Tear, as Jade jumped away. The Oracle knight who jumped down had the same red hair as Luke, and when he turned around, Jade could see that it wasn't just the hair. This man, clad in black, looked exactly like Luke.

"And you are as hard to kill as they say, Necromancer," the Oracle knight said blandly. "Unfortunately for you, Dist has your Major Balfour, so we don't have to worry about her assisting you in your escape with her mystic arte or something dark like that."

Jade's eyes narrowed in anger. So now he had a vague idea on where Lythia was. Hopefully Dist would be idiotic enough and take Lythia to Keterburg or somewhere else within Malkuth territory. He allowed himself to be taken away with Tear and Luke, and staring at the Ligers he could see, he wondered if Arietta was on board, and, if she could be convinced to turn against the God-Generals who had attacked.

* * *

 **Okay, yes I am sorry for leaving you with that cliffhanger... sort of. So lets recap here - Engeve, Cheagle Woods and the Tartarus have all happened now. Lythia has problems with the council, you've met Caius - who is a retainer for Lythia, Ion is back, Luke and Tear are there, Lythia has been kidnapped by Dist and everything else. I'm totally not building up to save Arietta later *shifty eyes* Nope not at all! Well, that's all for this chapter, please don't hate me too much.**

 **Please Review!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **UNIMPORTANT NOTES:**

 **So you almost got to see Lythia cast one of her Mystic Artes. I like to call it "Death's Voice" as it makes the people affected hear the voices/screams of the dead. But I wonder... what did Lythia mean when she told Luke that she's "already been to hell and back" and that "only the Emperor can order her back there"?**

 **And Lythia knows what Van is up to? No, she doesn't, she just finds his activity suspicious. She was warning Tear to something which Tear already knew more about than Lythia.**


	8. Aiming Low

**Hello readers! I'm posting this chapter simply because I have the time to, not because I've finished the next one. So because of this I probably won't be updating this again in the next couple of weeks. I hope you understand. That being said - please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Dist will be dealt with in accordance to the Dist Removal code under the supervision of the Committee of Dist Removal. The Committee is not, however, responsible for any harm that may come to other characters in the act of dealing with Dist.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss, I am just playing in the wonderful sandbox that Namco have created. I do however own Lythia and Arya, Caius belongs to Defiance-of-Fate, whom is also my Beta reader.**

* * *

 **Aiming Low**

 _~? before the Fall of Akzeriuth - Lythia~_

Breeze rustled the leaves above Lythia's head. This alone caused the Major to sit bolt upright, eyes snapping open.

"Where the hell am I?" she demanded to the empty forest she was it. Or at least she thought it was empty, until obnoxious laughter filled the air, making Lythia spin on her heel. The man behind her was very different to the child she remembered from Keterburg. His white hair fell around his face almost perfectly, his glasses reflecting the glare of sunlight.

"Greetings Saphir, it's been a long time," Lythia sneered. She was surprised when she was met with a sneer that was just as frosted as her own. Saphir had obviously changed from the pitiful cry baby she remembered in her childhood.

"Twenty-four years it has been since Lythia Balfour died," the God-General snapped. "You are quite clearly a replica made by Jade. So I wonder where he hid the data."

Lythia stared at the man incredulously, wondering if he had hit his head and gained a permanent concussion.

"Where are we Saphir?" She asked, snappishly.

"I've taken you to some forest in the Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear," Saphir replied, a vicious grin stretching across his face. "Since you are nothing but an imitation of Lythia, I don't really care what happens to you, and once I find your replica data, I'll make you again and raise the new replica as an Oracle Knight."

Lythia sighed and started to walk in the direction opposite to the God-General. She hoped that it would lead to Belkend, for even though she wanted to avoid the city that had a replica laboratory, it was far better then going to Baticul while tensions between Malkuth and Kimlasca were high. Perhaps Saphir would eventually notice that she had gone after he finished his rant.

Of course getting towards civilization would have to made difficult by monsters appearing just minutes after Saphir's voice had faded away. With another sigh, Lythia summoned fonons.

" _Frosted breath, I summon thee forth..._ " she chanted. " _WINTER WIND!_ "

It was a long way to to the city, and with each battle that passed, the blonde Ward Princess of Malkuth wondered if she would be able to get to a city alive.

* * *

~ _5 weeks and 6 days before Fall of Akzeriuth - Jade_ ~

"So in the end, everything we predicted could go wrong; did? And now Lady Arietta is after Dist the Reaper and Major Balfour is missing. Anything else?"

Jade looked at the ten year old child standing in front of him, not quite believing her age as Arya stared up at him with her hands resting on her hips. She was, without question, his sister's retainer. The girl had just recounted everything that he had just told her. While Jade thought it strange that Arietta had gone after Dist, he understood her reasoning. It was simply a matter of conflicting interests, but the Colonel felt that he could convince the young pink haired teen to come with him to Baticul… As long as Ion was still with the party at that point.

"Just one more thing Arya," Jade said, pushing the thoughts in his head away. "Along with your report to Emperor Peony, I need you to give him this. Tell him to safe guard it until Lythia returns for it."

He hands the girl Lythia's rapier, which had been wrapped in cloth since it was missing its scabbard. Arya carefully took the sword. She ran off to find Caius when Jade dismissed her. The man stared after the child as she ran, sighing at how the young girl gripped the weapon in her hands as if it were a lifeline. He sighed again and returned to the group that was waiting for him outside the Military Headquarters of St Binah.

"I do believe that it is time that we leave this city," he commented, ignoring the inquiring glances shot his way by Tear, Luke and the noble's servant Guy. "We should be moving towards Kaitzur."

They move to leave but Tear notices something, and calls out.

"Quick, hide!" she gasps. "It's the Oracle Knights!"

Jade tugs Luke and Ion into the shadows of a building near the gates of St Binah, clamping a hand over the red head's mouth as the boy made to protest. He frowned as he heard the voice of Legretta.

"Have you found Fon Master Ion?"

There was a shuffle of boots as a soldier's voice made its way to Jade's ears.

"It doesn't appear he's entered St Binah."

"Those people with Ion are the ones who killed Mommy…" came Arietta's voice. It sounded hesitant. "My liger friends told me. But…"

Jade's frown deepened as he heard Arietta's doubt. He hoped that the doubt was her considering Lythia's reactions to everything. A new voice joined.

"What about that Fon Master Guardian they say was hanging around?"

Sync the Tempest had joined the group outside the gate it seemed. Jade released Luke's mouth since the red head had stopped struggling. The colonel brought his hand up to his chin in thought, continuing to listen to the conversation between the God-Generals.

"She appears to have made contact with the Malkuth military. But Malkuth is saying it's 'classified' and is refusing to provide any useful information."

"If I hadn't let that Necromancer get the better of me, Anise would've never gotten away," said the deep baritone voice of Largo, causing Jade's eyes to narrow in frustration, only to close when the frustratingly grating laugh of Dist entered the conversation.

"That's why I told you!" Dist exclaimed after he finished laughing mockingly. "The only one who can beat that beastly Jade is the elegant_"

"You aren't anything but Dist the Liar!" spat Arietta. "You said that Lythia wouldn't be on the Tartarus, but you lied. She was there; you just took her before my liger friends could get to the bridge. I'll tell Emperor Peony that you kidnapped_!"

"Arietta," Legretta said sharply, cutting off the young God-General. "While I agree that Dist is a liar, there is no point in dwelling in the past. What do we do now, Sync?"

Dist was ignored as the rest of the God-Generals, minus one, discussed their next course of action. When the God-Generals left, Dist spoke again, about Lythia, making Jade's eyes snap to the side, in the direction of the white haired annoyance's voice.

"Grr! You're all just jealous of my intelligence and beauty! Why does that brat of a child care so much about that imitation puppet of Lythia, it's not like she's the real Lythia. Too bad that puppet won't survive the walk to Baticul!"

Dist's laughter echoed as he left, letting the group walk out of their hiding spots. They met at the gates of St Binah.

"Damn," Jade growled. "Largo survived." _And Lythia was left in Kimlascan territory by Dist._ The word's left unsaid, were only able to be noted by the fist that Jade had clenched at his side.

"This is the first time I've seen the Six God-Generals," Guy commented, looking off into the distance, in the general direction that Dist had left in. When Luke inquired about the Six God-Generals Ion and Guy took it upon themselves to explain. Jade felt no need to input until Asch the Bloody was brought up and Luke made this next inquiry.

"That woman from the Tartarus, Lythia I believe she said her name was. She asked me if I knew someone named Asch. Why would she ask that?"

"Major Balfour spends a lot of time in the company of Arietta the Wild and Legretta the Quick," Jade answered. "She goes to Daath occasionally, so it is entirely possible she has met Asch and found something about you that reminded her of him."

"Dist mentioned Major Balfour before he left," Tear murmured thoughtfully before casting her gaze upon Jade. "What did he mean by 'imitation puppet'?"

"It seems that Dist believes something that is impossible," Jade replied darkly. "It is convenient for us that he believes that, I suppose, since he left Major Balfour in Kimlasca where she can get to Baticul before us."

"If she makes it there alive," Guy pointed out. The smile that Jade sent the blonde was false and only Jade knew that.

"She is Lythia Balfour," the Colonel said cheerfully. "Her skill in fonic artes will ensure her safety."

Silence filled the air, and Tear was glaring at Jade, while Guy was staring at the brunette man in shock.

"And what are you planning on doing with Arietta?" Ion asked, drawing attention to him for a second before all eyes were once again on Jade. The Malkuth Colonel tilted his head in a way that made the sun glare off his glasses, hiding his eyes.

"Dist betrayed her by the sounds of their conversation," Jade replied. "We know were Major Balfour is, and we know that Dist took the Major. It will be easy enough to get Arietta to turn against Dist."

And as if like a prophesy, the group found themselves at Fubras River the next day, facing Arietta, and Ion was looking at Jade. The Fon Master stepped forward to try and placate the pink haired teen.

"Arietta these aren't bad people," the green haired boy called.

"Yes," Arietta murmured. "Yes they are. They killed Mommy!"

"And what about Lythia?" Jade asked, causing the God-General to flinch. "She was on the Tartarus and yet you, who promised to not hurt her, attacked the ship she was on."

"Dist lied to me!" Arietta yelled. "He said that Lythia wasn't on the Tartarus! He said that she would still be in Malkuth!"

"And what if I said we knew where Dist took Lythia?" the red eyed man inquired. "Would you come with us? Or at least stop fighting us?"

Arietta fell silent seemingly considering his proposition. The pink haired teen bit her lip, staring between, Jade and Ion. After a tense minute most of the ligers that were surrounding the group withdrew and left, leaving Arietta and one liger behind.

"Where did Dist take Lythia?" she asked quietly, walking up to Jade. "I will follow you until our goals no longer match."

"Dist took Lythia to Kimlasca," Jade replied. "I would assume by his own complaining that he left her somewhere in the plains around Baticul, which is where we were heading anyway."

Arietta's eyes narrowed as anger flashed through her irises. The way her hands clenched around her monster doll promised pain for Dist whenever she saw him next. The group continued onward silently, Arietta walking near Ion, and her liger watching their backs.

* * *

" _Why didn't you ask if I was a replica Jade?"_

" _Because, little sister, I already know that your replica data has never been recorded."_

" _Then why did you deny my claims vehemently?"_

"… _. I suppose it is because I didn't want to admit to my own failures."_

" _Failures?"_

" _I failed as your brother, Lythia. I caused you harm, I wished that I could have made your replica… even if that act would have been fruitless anyway."_

" _Why?"_

" _Forgive me Lythia… I can't tell you that anymore."_

"… _.?"_

* * *

 _~4 weeks before Fall of Akzeriuth - Lythia~_

It had taken Lythia two days to stumble into Baticul, barely noticing the city she had entered, badly injured from the many battles with monsters. She knew as soon as she had entered the city that the Kimlascan Military would apprehend her, but she had just begged them to take her before King Ingobert, where she had managed to gasp out a short play on the truth, about being kidnapped by Dist while on a mission of peace, before she had passed out.

When she woke up again she was surprised to see that she was on a bed, in a well-furnished room instead of the dungeon. This was odd but she was hardly going to complain. Sitting up, she then noticed two things. First – She had no idea how long she had been unconscious. Second – There was a familiar, honey blonde, young woman in the room with her.

"Oh, your awake!" the young woman exclaimed, raising to her feet. "You've been unconscious for almost two weeks!"

Lythia blinked with shock, two weeks? Surely not. Her shock must have been written on her face because the woman continued speaking as if Lythia had asked aloud.

"Yes, I'm not surprised however," the woman stated. "My father was actually curious as to how you managed to make it up to the throne room without passing out before you did. Not to mention that you claim that you were traveling with peace emissaries and kidnapped by Dist the Reaper no less. You've certainly caused a stir in my father's court."

"So you are the Princess Natalia then?" Lythia asked looking the woman in front of her over. She held herself with the grace of a princess, and spoke with the same noble speech patterns that Lythia had used to hear from Peony's sister. It was strange to say the least, but comforting to the Malkuth Princess.

"I am the Princess Natalia, yes," the woman, now confirmed to be Natalia, affirmed. "Are you really Lythia? Father said you were."

"You remember me?" Lythia asked with shock. "It's been thirteen years since I was last here; you were five years when Emperor Karl last took me with him anywhere."

Another person entered the room then, stopping Natalia from replying, Lythia blinked in surprise at the person who entered.

"Brigadier General Cecille," she noted. "It's been a while."

"I never expected to see you again, Major Balfour, after our meeting in Daath," acquiesced the woman in red Kimlascan military uniform. Lythia shrugged almost carelessly.

"I didn't expect to meet you again either," the blonde ward princess replied, sly tone creeping into her voice. "Except, perhaps on the battlefield."

To her eternal credit, General Cecille ignored the disguised jab and moved on to the reason she had entered the room.

"Major Balfour, his majesty King Ingobert the Sixth requests that you appear before the council and explain why you are in Kimlascan territory."

The General left before Lythia could reply and the Malkuth woman was almost disappointed. Turning her attention back to Princess Natalia, Lythia smiled.

"I suppose that it is only logical that your father remember me," she said softly. "The council would always stare at us as Emperor Karl and King Ingobert sent us out pf whatever room they were in. Such an odd pair we were."

"I remember you picking me up and following a maid to my room," Natalia replied. "Then you'd brush my hair and braid it."

"Your hair is shorter now," Lythia commented, pulling herself off the bed she had been on, and walking closer to Natalia to stroke her hair. In the back of her mind, Lythia noticed that she was no longer wearing her uniform but a nightgown that fell to her knees. This note wasn't important in that moment however. Lythia smiled as Natalia leaned into her hand, and the Malkuth woman decided to ask something.

"Would you allow me to brush your hair? For old times' sake?"

With Natalia's nod the two women moved around the Kimlascan Princess' room.

It was about an hour later when the two women appeared before the Kimlascan court. Natalia took her place beside her father, leaving Lythia to stand before the throne, in a dress that Natalia had given her since her uniform was in tatters. One of Emperor Karl's many lessons drifted into her mind

" _When in your enemy's country, always let them speak first, but never bow your head. Show any other sign of respect you desire, but always keep your head up."_

It was one thing that Lythia took to heart, amongst other things that Peony's father had said, and now she stood by those words as King Ingobert greeted her.

"It's been a long time Princess Lythia," the red haired man greeted. "Thirteen years have passed since your father last brought you to these halls, and how much you've changed since then is clear."

Lythia allowed herself to fall into a short, almost mocking, curtsy, keeping her head raised to the King in front of her.

"Thirteen years is a long time," she replied curtly, "yet our countries are still on the verge of war, and whatever attempts to make peace keep getting foiled."

There were many looks shot towards Grand Maestro Mohs who was standing next to the King's advisor, Alpine. The Order man looked uncomfortable, but remained silent as King Ingobert spoke up again.

"Before you fainted you had mentioned a peace mission," the man stated carefully. Lythia then launched into a heavily edited tale, leaving out the fact that the councilmen of Malkuth hadn't actually agreed to a peace treaty, or that they had the Fon Master with them, and the fact that it was Jade who was commander of the mission. She did however mention the letter that had been collected in Engeve and she spoke of how Dist had taken her from the Tartarus.

"How do we know you are telling the truth?" came the demanding voice of Alpine. Lythia sent a cold glance.

"Yes, all I have are my words and my wounds," Lythia said. "But my commander will come, and he will bring the letter from Emperor Peony. This I swear on my honour as both soldier and princess of Malkuth. Should my words not be true then I declare my life forfeit."

 _Because if Jade doesn't come then he is dead and I am then trapped in enemy territory._ The thought wasn't a pleasant one, but very true. Not that she planned to die in Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, though the court she stood before didn't need to know that. Her statement birthed muttered conversation all around, drawing a faint smile to her lips. Eventually this discussion led to the King allowing her to wander around the castle with an escort for a month at which time, should no one have come with the letter from Peony, she would be thrown into the dungeon and held for ransom. Lythia accepted this with a smile, but behind her mask her heart shuddered in fear. One month wasn't very long.

Unbeknownst to her, Jade Curtiss was already in Kaitzur with Luke and Arietta.

* * *

 _~4 weeks before Fall of Akzeriuth – Jade – Zaitzur Navel Port~_

Jade glanced to the side at the two young Oracle Knights who were in the middle of a hissed argument as the group surveyed the damage that has been sustained to the Kaitzur navel port. Anise and Arietta looked up at Ion's call when he asked them to be silent, and they looked at each other with a grudging agreement. The black haired child walked over to Tear, and her pink haired counterpart moved over to Jade. The colonel looked down at Arietta surprised.

"Dist did this," the pinkette stated. "It was meant to be my job to do this, and to kidnap the chief engineer and bring him to Choral Castle where I was meant to lure Luke and Ion to Asch."

Jade turned his attention to Arietta.

"And why does Asch want Luke and Ion at Choral Castle?" he asked, causing Arietta to flinch slightly.

"It would be better to show you," she murmured. "Lythia would want me to; she's been meaning to tell you for weeks since Asch told her."

At this Jade raised his eyebrow. Lythia knew there was something in Choral Castle that she felt he needed to see. Jade looked to see Van, Ion and Luke talking, Luke arguing with something that Van was saying. Van walked off after what seemed to be sharp words at his student.

"Luke!" Jade called, beckoning him over when the red head looked his way. "Where is Dorian General Grants going?"

Through the boy's moaning and whining, Jade managed to hear that the man in question was apparently going to rescue the chief engineer and that they had been told to continue on to Baticul on the training ship that returned soon. Not the desirable outcome, thankfully Ion was approached by two of the dock workers begging the Fon Master to save the chief. And, ignoring Luke's mild protests, the group was finding itself heading towards Choral Castle.

* * *

 _~4 weeks before Fall of Akzeriuth – Arietta – Choral Castle~_

Arietta stared at Jade with conflicted emotions. He had killed her mommy…. But he was Lythia's older brother, and she had promised years ago to not hurt Lythia. In that moment Arietta decided that the object of her anger would be Dist and his lies, but first she had to show the red eyed brother of Lythia the machine in Choral Castle.

The man was staring around the room with the light-locked door, which Arietta proceeded to ask her liger friend to break down.

"This way!" she called, running through the rubble of the door. Behind her, the footsteps of the party followed her, as she led them to the huge fon-machine. Jade's reaction was instantaneous and almost non-existent, but Arietta had been watching Lythia and Jade interact long enough to recognise the way that the Colonel's eyes widened slightly with horror and disgust.

"Is this…?" the man's question trailed off as he continued to stare up at the machine. Arietta walked up beside him and murmured in a voice that only he could hear.

"This is what Lythia has wanted to show you."

The pink haired girl looked at the man as he avoided the questions thrown at him by the rest of the party. Arietta could tell that he was trying to deny the proof, but she knew that Lythia would tell him the truth when she could. Right now however, Arietta followed the group to try and stop Dist and Sync from synchronising Luke and Asch's fon slots, but she failed to do so.

As Jade and his entourage ran after Luke and Dist, Arietta remained on the roof to free the chief engineer. However, Dist seemed to like knots so by the time she had finished freeing the man, Jade was back telling her that Dist and Sync ran off.

"Sorry Jade," Arietta murmured. "I'm going after Dist."

With that Arietta ran off, jumping on her liger and running from the castle. It would take her less than a week to find the white haired man. It would take two weeks for Jade, Luke, Guy, Anise and Tear to successfully escort Fon Master Ion to Baticul and find Lythia. In those two weeks, Lythia would become reacquainted with Princess Natalia, and in those two weeks, Jade would be pondering why Lythia would want to show him the fomicry machine in Choral Castle.

* * *

 **Yep, I put it into Arietta's point of view. I wasn't expecting to do so so soon, but it happened because I felt it fit better than having Jade's point of view. But, no! Arietta left the party, darn, she won't be in Baticul next chapter. Not that Baticul will remain for long. Countdown chapter is next. My countdown to Akzeriuth. Expect a lot of time jumping and jumping between point of views. Why? Well that will come up in the next chapter.**

 **And WHAT?! There is a reason WHY Jade didn't ask if Lythia if she was a replica? That the act of doing so wouldn't work anyway? What is this? And why can't Jade share those reasons anymore? Could it have something to do with *spoilers*?**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter! Please drop a review, I really want to hear your feedback!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **UNIMPORTANT NOTES:**

 **Yeah... I'm still totally not building up to save Arietta. Nope! Not at all! (And I'm absolutely not planning on killing Dist to make up for it.) But yeah, Arietta will be around the party every now and then, though that will usually be when she is with Lythia and Lythia is with the group.**

 **HAHA! Arietta is now after Dist! Sorry, but I won't elaborate on that confrontation. Nor will any Chesedonia events be written.**

 **Most important of these unimportant notes - Lythia has been following the development of fomicry, and trying to close all experiments around Aldurant, because she feels responsible for her brother's actions. This is why she is suspicious of Van.**


	9. Lead Up To Destruction

**Welcome back everyone! And here we have the chapter that we have all been waiting for (other than the middle chapter and the last chapter: AKZERIUTH! There will be a lot of timejumps in this chapter, that's just my warning. Anywho onward to the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss. Lythia and Arya are mine. Caius belongs to Defiance-of-Fate**

 **Response to Guest Review on last Chapter in the event that you haven't read my one-shot - Yes, the other God-Generals are still going to die, I can't save them all.**

* * *

 **Lead Up To Destruction**

 _~2 weeks before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Lythia stood next to Natalia in the Manor of Duke Fabre, before the bedside of Lady Suzanne, as the honey blonde princess spoke to her Aunt. It had been a long two weeks wandering the castle with Natalia, and the young princess had convinced her father to let Lythia accompany her to visit the Lady Fabre. The Lady Fabre was glaring at Lythia, having just accused the Malkuth woman of kidnapping her son. Keeping Emperor Karl's words in mind, Lythia knelt before the woman, keeping her eyes trained on the Duchess.

"Duchess Fabre, I can assure you that Malkuth was not behind the kidnapping of your son," the ward princess began. "Not now, nor did we kidnap your son seven years ago, as your son has shared to be your speculation. I can also promise you that your son was safe when he was on the Tartarus, and my commander will do everything in his power to return him to Baticul."

Suzanne continued to glare at Lythia as she spoke up.

"Princess Lythia. I heard you were one of the soldiers who fought with my husband's forces during the War, would this not give you reason to kidnap my son and try to cover it up?"

Lythia's fists clenched and she threw her pride away as she bowed her head to the woman before her.

"I do not hurt children," she spat angrily. "There are too many people who do that already."

Silence wreathed around the room.

"I have insulted you," Lady Fabre noted after a few long moments. "Raise your head Princess Lillian."

The name that the Lady Fabre chose to address Lythia by had the blonde Malkuth princess looking up in shock, to see the smiling face of Luke's mother.

"You are a good princess for Malkuth," the red haired woman said. Lythia turned her head away.

"If I was I good princess wouldn't I have married Emperor Peony as our Lord Father wished?" she asked quietly. There was a certain sharpness in the Duchess' gaze that gave Lythia the answer to her question. The red haired woman shook her head and spoke up.

"No," she stated. "You are a good princess for Malkuth, but you are no Queen. In your eyes, I see you already have someone else that you are trying to get on that throne that your father offered you. You don't want that throne."

Lythia smiled tightly at Lady Fabre's words. Natalia and Lythia left the room after that, with quiet farewells.

As the pair walked through the halls of Fabre Manor, Lythia noticed a familiar voice coming from the foyer.

"Is that Luke?" she asked, hopeful. The two continued to the entrance of the manor to see Luke, along with Tear, Anise, Jade and someone who was hauntingly familiar to Lythia.

"No way, impossible…" Lythia murmured as Natalia ran forward calling Luke's name. "Everyone from that house died."

The proof of her statement was on the pillar wall in the very room they were standing in. Many things were discussed, including Van Grants and Luke's apparent memory loss. Just as Natalia was turning to leave, Lythia decided to speak up.

"You there, the one Princess Natalia called 'Guy'," she started, directing the words towards the blonde man who was cowering behind Luke. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"M-me my lady?" the man stuttered, causing Lythia's eyebrows to rise at the way he addressed her. "That is highly unlikely."

The Malkuth Princess stared at the blonde man for a few seconds.

"Hmm… Indeed," she muttered, before turning to Jade. "Colonel, I'm afraid that I am technically a prisoner here due to the circumstance of my arrival, I will therefore await your return to the castle later."

Jade acknowledged his sisters words with a slight nod, then Lythia and Natalia left and headed back to the castle.

* * *

 _~1 week and 6 days before Fall of Akzeriuth – Baticul – Dungeons~_

Lythia's boots clicked on the stone steps descending down to the dungeons of the castle with her brother beside her as she went to see Van Grants who had been arrested during the night. It was early morning, and she had received permission from King Ingobert, after she had regained her freedom, to interrogate the Commandant before everyone convened to discuss the peace treaty. Jade was there to stand guard with the Kimlascan soldier to ensure that no one listened to the conversation happening inside the cell.

The Commandant seemed to be standing serenely near the wall when Lythia entered. He turned to face her with a smile that only radiated pleasantness, which the Malkuth woman met with a smile that spoke in frosted tones.

"I have five minutes to ask you whatever questions I wish in the privacy of this room," she started. "I do hope, Commandant Grants, that you will be cooperative. Or perhaps I should address you by your birthname, Vandesdelca Fende."

The man's smile faded slightly and became tight with anger.

"And how do you know that name?" he asked.

"My dear child, and yes, I can call you that, I have a list of all the survivors of Hod and I have tried my hardest to keep track of everyone," Lythia replied. "Though I do believe that I am the one asking the questions, so tell be Commandant – have you ever conducted fomicry experiments?"

The question was seemingly random enough to make the man blink in surprise.

"I have not," Van finally responded after he got over the shock. Lythia looked at him appraisingly.

"Have you ever used a fomicry to create a replica of anything be it living being or object?"

"No, I have not."

"Is Saphir Ortion Gneiss involved in any fomicry experiments currently?"

"I would not know."

Lythia paused, and sent a sharp look at Van, trying to discern lies.

"Saphir Ortion Gneiss is your God-General, Dist the Reaper," she snapped. "Are you telling me that you have no control over the… recreational activities your God-Generals?"

"Dist most likely spends his time trying to revive his Professor Nebilim!"

"Professor Gelda Nebilim is dead and her replica data is nowhere for him to get his hands on!" Lythia shouted, throwing her hand into the air, before she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Jade and the Kimlascan soldier who had been standing guard had entered the room.

"One last question Commandant Grants," said Lythia as she started to walk towards the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder. "Did you order the attack on the Tartarus?"

Her voice was icy cold and there was no emotion in her eyes.

"I did not," Van replied, making Lythia hum thoughtfully. She turned away from the man, leaving the room throwing words over her shoulder.

"Send Arietta to me in Grand Chokmah when you get back to Daath. Also, ensure that _Dist_ doesn't cross paths with me if you wish to still have the Reaper as your God-General. He won't survive meeting me again."

With that the Malkuth woman left, with her brother following close behind. Jade turned an inquiring glance at his younger sister as they headed towards the throne room in the castle.

"I'll believe him for now," Lythia said, keeping her eyes focused forward. "I don't trust him, but I don't have any evidence against him yet. It seems I need to go visit the Broken Dagger."

"Isn't the Broken Dagger in the middle of the black-market?" Jade asked incredulously. Lythia snorted at that.

"Hardly, the military just fails to realise that the black-market isn't as illegal as it looks," she replied. "No, dear brother, my business there is with the Informants Guild of Malkuth, and the military isn't allowed to follow me, especially with the number of soldiers that are a part of the Guild."

Jade stopped as Lythia started cackling semi-madly. Had she just given him a hint or a warning? He couldn't tell. All the Colonel could do was follow his sister.

* * *

 _~1 week and 6 days before Fall of Akzeriuth – Baticul – Throne Room~_

Natalia and Lythia spoke quietly, occasionally sending sharp glances around the room at certain people, while the room was waiting for Luke to enter the hall. At the sound of the great doors opening, Natalia moved back to her throne and Lythia took her spot beside Jade. The Malkuth soldiers glared lightly at Grand Maestro Mohs, who was walking in with Luke and Tear behind him.

"Ah, we've been waiting for you, Luke," King Ingobert started, and with that, the emotional blackmailing of Luke fon Fabre's consciousness began. Lythia would have laughed at how easily Luke's thought process could be manipulated if she wasn't standing in that room, she promised herself that she would laugh later. Then the Score was brought up, resounding in Tear's voice as the melodist read from the Fonstone.

" _ND2000 In Kimlasca shall be born the scion of Lorelei's power. He will be of royal blood with hair of red. He shall be called the 'light of the sacred flame' and he will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to new prosperity._

 _ND2018 The young scion of Lorelei's power shall bring his people to the miner's city. There…."_

Even as Tear proclaimed the rest missing, Lythia felt dread growing as she tried desperately to remember a conversation she had with Fon Master Evenos after the end of the Hod War. However she knew that what she was looking for was a book in her rooms back in Grand Chokmah, written in Ancient Ispanian in the margins of the pages.

"Who shall accompany him besides me?"

Jade's question brought Lythia back out of her thoughts.

"Is Major Balfour not going with you as well?" Natalia asked.

"Nay, Princess," the blonde woman responded. "I have to return to Grand Chokmah and give my report to Emperor Peony."

If anyone noticed the way she detached herself from the royal family of Malkuth, no one commented.

"The Order of Lorelei wishes to send along Tear and Van," spoke Mohs. Lythia turned to him.

"If you are sending Van Grants, then my request to him is now passed to you," she said. "And I request that Arietta comes to me in Grand Chokmah. Preferably soon."

The Grand Maestro nodded in acknowledgement.

"Arietta will be in Grand Chokmah as soon as I can get her there."

Lythia thanked the man before turning back to King Ingobert. The King turned his gaze upon his nephew.

"Luke, who would you like to take with you?" he asked. "You should take Guy with you as your personal attendant."

Luke's arrogant response almost had Lythia cringing, but the Malkuth Princess was more interested in Natalia's request to accompany the group. Though that request was denied, Lythia started to formulate a plan. When the audience with the King was dispersed, Natalia and Lythia went back to the Kimlascan Princess' rooms.

"Natalia, if you still wish to follow Luke then you should sneak out," Lythia said as soon as the door had closed behind them. She reached up to her hair and removed the gold vine clip which managed to remain undamaged, making Lythia believe that Jade had it inscribed with Fonic Glyphs. She handed it to Natalia.

"This is my blessings to you," the Malkuth woman murmured. "If you show it to Jade then he will not question your presence. My brother will also help you convince your new Goodwill Ambassador to let you come along."

"But isn't this yours?" Natalia asked.

"My brother, Jade, gave that to me when I was eight," Lythia stated quietly. "Natalia, I don't really believe in good luck charms, but if I ever feel the need for one I always wear this clip. I'm lending it to you as a way to keep you safe"

"What?" Natalia gasped, trying to give the trinket back. "No, I can't take this, not something this precious to you, and surely you need more good luck than I."

Lythia smiled softly.

"You are sneaking out of this castle to follow Ambassador Luke to Akzeriuth," the Malkuth princess responded, "whom is also accompanied by my brother. You are going to evacuate Akzeriuth because of the miasma. All I will be doing is guarding an Emperor who barely leaves the capital and completing the tasks required of me as a Princess. I foresee you needing a good luck charm before I have to worry about anything my Lord Brother disappearing."

"But you said your brother gave this to you," protested Natalia. Lythia pressed a finger to the younger woman's lips.

"Yes, and when our two countries have truly achieved peace," Lythia murmured, "You can give it back to me in Grand Chokmah, where we should meet, since I am giving you my clip here in Baticul."

The two stared at each other for a while, then Lythia let her hand drop to her side.

"A fitting place to meet," Natalia conceded. "Very well, I shall accept your gift, and await the moment when I stand in Grand Chokmah with you, handing it back."

The two smiled at each other and left the room. From there they met with King Ingobert who was to be taking Lythia down to the port where there was a ferry to take her to Chesedonia where she could then get a ferry to Grand Chokmah. Lythia said her farewells to Jade and Natalia and she was on her way home, and the Ambassadorial party was preparing to leave for Akzeriuth.

And Lythia knew what she would be doing as soon as she returned to the Imperial Palace in Grand Chokmah.

* * *

" _Greetings Fon Master Evenos."_

" _Princess Lythia. It's been a while since you last came to Daath."_

" _I have been a soldier in the war with Kimlasca for the past year."_

" _So you have. Tell me, will you let me read the Score for you?"_

" _Fon Master you know that I haven't heard my Score read since my thirteenth birthday."_

" _Not your score, but the Planet Score."_

" _What? Isn't that illegal?"_

" _Be as that may, I feel as if Lorelei is telling me to read you the Score."_

" _If Lorelei speaks, you must obey I suppose. Oh well, might as well hear the Score."_

* * *

 _~1 week and 6 days before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Natalia glared at Luke sharply as he grudgingly announced his 'decision' to let her travel with them. As Lythia had promised however, Colonel Curtiss supported her, albeit with much suspicion in his gaze. When the group was moving through the abandoned factory, Jade made her slow down so they could talk.

"Where did you get that?" the man asked, indicating to Lythia's vine clip which the Malkuth woman had woven into Natalia's hair.

"Just something that Major Balfour lent me," the Kimlascan Princess replied carefully. "She said that it makes a nice good luck charm."

"Lythia gave that to you?" Jade questioned sharply. "So she is the only one who knows you are with us?"

The smile that Natalia sent him answered that question.

"Yes she did lend it to me," she grinned, reminiscent of the blonde woman who was heading towards the Malkuth capital. "And she told me to give it back to her in Grand Chokmah."

"My sister is a fool…" the Colonel muttered in what he thought was an inaudible voice, but Natalia heard. The Princess moved closer so that she could whisper.

"Your sister wouldn't approve of you calling her foolish, nor do I for that matter."

Jade smiled, perhaps evilly, at Natalia, surprising the Princess.

"Oh so you knew who I was referring to then?" he inquired cheerfully, yet still quietly. "Marvelous! One less shocked face to worry about when someone finally tells the rest of you that Lythia is my sister."

"I fail to understand why you wish it to be a secret from everyone," Natalia stated irritably.

"That, dear Princess," Jade replied, he could have been purring had the Kimlascan woman not known better, "is not a secret. It is just the simple fact that nobody has asked. They hear our different last names and assume. No one really notices the fact that we both have unnaturally coloured eyes and think that perhaps we could be related."

Jade then walked ahead, as if the conversation had never happened.

* * *

 _~1 week before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Lythia stepped off the ferry in Grand Chokmah and was greeted by four people; Peony, Arya, Caius and as promised by Grand Maestro Mohs; Arietta. They asked her if she was alright, Arietta apologising for attacking the Tartarus and for failing to catch Dist, and Arya handing Lythia back her rapier. Then they all returned to the Palace, where Lythia, first changed into military uniform, and then made her report in front of the council.

After this report she then, with the help of Arya and Arietta, made a mess of her rooms as she furiously searched for the book which contained the information she so desperately needed.

* * *

 _~3 days and 5 hours before Fall of Akzeriuth - Lythia~_

In the empty ballroom of the Imperial Palace the two royals spoke quietly.

"Lythia, you need to stop worrying," Peony murmured. "Jade will be fine."

"The Score that was on the Fonstone fragment worries me," Lythia sighed, brushing the cloth of her uniform with frustration. "I've heard it before, I know how that verse ends, and yet I can't remember the words Fon Master Evenos spoke."

Peony stared at his adopted sister before he held out his hand.

"Will you dance with me, my lady?" he asked softly. Lythia sighed again, but placed her hand in Peony's.

"Sing my sister," the blonde Emperor murmured. "Forget your worries and sing as we dance to the melodies."

The sweet voice of Lythia Balfour filled the air as the royal siblings danced around the hall, the song the Princess had chosen being sung with an eerie tone.

 _~Dancing bears  
Painted Wings…..~*_

* * *

 _~3 days and 5 hours before Fall of Akzeriuth - Jade~_

Jade Curtiss frowned at the spot where Legretta had been standing just moments before. So fomicry had been revived by the God-Generals and Lythia had known. His sister had been trying to tell him. So was it at all possible that what he suspected to be true? Quite obviously, if Legretta's words were any hint.

Glancing at Luke and Natalia, Jade pondered whether or not Legretta was purposely trying to tell him something, but he quickly dismissed that thought. Legretta was trying to kill him as much as he had been trying to kill her in that last fight. It seemed at the Malkuth Colonel had some questions to ask his sister when he saw her next.

* * *

 _~1 day and 3 hours before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Natalia had expected Akzeriuth to be bad, but she didn't expect how bad. What greeted the Ambassadorial party was a nightmare. They decided to rest the night in the Inn and discuss their strategy for the next day. There was talk on leaving Luke out of the plan. Natalia and Jade would later come to regret that decision.

* * *

 _~11 hours before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Jade, Guy and Tear were trying to help people out of the dying city. It was a struggle to do, but they tried. Perhaps not enough though.

* * *

 _~6 hours before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Lythia glared at Aslan Frings as he talked in front of the council. Peony had once again left her in with the councilmen as he went off to Lorelei knows where. The Ward Princess of Malkuth had better things to be doing. Sadly she had to sit still for another two hours.

* * *

 _~1 hour before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Jade and Luke walked through Akzeriuth with Guy and Anise following somewhere behind. They were trying to find Tear and Natalia before they followed the report they had received of Commandant Grants and his troops down in Mine Shaft 14.

When the two girls were found, the group went down to the mine shaft. However Tear was called away by Oracle Knights. Jade found this highly suspicious, but it wasn't his place to comment, so the group proceeded without Tear.

"Is it strange that I suddenly feel as if something bad is going to happen now that Tear's gone?"

The question was murmured by Anise but not answered by anyone. No it wasn't strange – it was a general consensus within the group.

* * *

 _~15 minutes before Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Jade chased after Tear and Asch down to the passage ring and towards the Sephiroth tree. Everything was going bad very quickly. The Colonel reached the Sephiroth room just in time to see Luke collapse to his knees with a horrified expression on his face.

 _So this is what panic feels like?_ Jade thought. Silently he sent apologies towards Lythia, knowing that Akzeriuth was going to collapse.

* * *

 _~ Fall of Akzeriuth~_

Lythia was running through the halls of the Imperial Palace towards Peony's chambers. In her hands was an open book, marked with notes. She stopped however, gripping her hand to her chest as her heart seemed to miss several beats. An icy feeling washed over her. Peony, who had seen Lythia running, quickly moved to the blonde woman's side.

"Something has happened ," she gasped. Peony gently lead her back to her rooms and called Arietta to stay with her.

Exactly a week later, a messenger came running into the messenger hall, interrupting Lythia and Peony's conversation.

"Akzeriuth has fallen, everyone in the city is dead."

Peony's eyes flicked to Lythia who had frozen. The woman's violet eyes were wide with terror. Lythia fell to her knees as she let out a heartbreaking wail.

On Loreleiday, Gnome Decan 57 in the year ND2018, Akzeriuth had been destroyed, by an unknown force, leaving the land around it as an abyss of nothingness and everyone who had been in the city was presumed dead.

* * *

 ***Lyrics from 'Once Upon a December' from Anastasia (Disney)**

 **So Akzeriuth has fallen now. No more countdown to fall now. The next chapter won't have Jade in it I'm afraid, and it will be focusing more on the reactions of Lythia and how her reactions affect those around her. From now on I will be using dates on the Auldrant calendar to mark where I am.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **Unimportant notes:**

 **So... Lythia is trying to set Peony up with someone? Who could that be? *hint hint* And she seems to find Guy familiar, though that is understandable, since she is the Princess of Malkuth, so she'll have met all the nobles of her country.**

 **WHAT? The rest of the main party doesn't know who Lythia is? What is this? As Jade said - no body asked.**

 **Fon Master Evenos will be mentioned a lot. But ooh! What's this? Lythia hasn't heard her birthscore since her thirteenth birthday? Why?**


	10. Aftermath

**So, here we are with chapter 10 - Aftermath. I pulled a Dracula and the story of this chapter is told through a lot of letters. I apologise. However if you do like this way of communicating the story, please tell me - I'd appreciate the feedback. I have another chapter planned like this though it would be helpful now to know, so I can change those plans.**

 **Thanks to presea221 and Gwendolyn Yuki for reviewing last chapter - You guys are awesome.**

 **Thanks to Defiance-of-Fate for beta reading this chapter - you are amazing.**

 **Without further ado - chapter 10! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Aftermath**

 _ND2018 The young scion of Lorelei's power shall bring his people to the miner's city. There, the youth will turn power to calamity and be as a weapon of Kimlasca, destroying himself and the city. Thereafter, the land of Rugnica will be enveloped in war, and Malkuth shall lose territory. Kimlasca-Lanvaldear shall thrive, and this shall lead to unprecedented prosperity._

* * *

 _Sylphday 41, Shadow Redecan – ND 2003_

 _Ward Princess Lythia Kari Malkuth,_

 _I write this letter to you in hopes that you still cling to your stubbornness to never hear your Score again. I have done a horrible thing and made the wrong person Grand Maestro, and I fear that he will lead to the Order of Lorelei's destruction. He was Scored to gain great standing within the Order, and I believe his knowledge of that has made him arrogant._

 _I suspect that he is using his new influence to make some families indebted to him. The cathedral seems to be full of his spies now. I fear it won't be long before there is a spy amongst my Fon Master Guardians._

 _Enclosed with this letter I have written out the Score for ND2018, which I read for you last time you were in Daath. I hope it can help you._

 _I would also warn you against Grand Maestro Mohs, as he might plan your assassination as you are someone who doesn't follow the Score. I cannot remove him from his position anymore, and he watches me like a hawk._

 _I must leave this letter hear and send it, before Mohs discovers that I have written it._

 _Signed,  
Fon Master Evenos_

* * *

 _~Gnomeday, Ifrit Decan 7, ND2018 - 1 week and a day after Fall~_

Peony glared at the letter in his hands, rereading it again as he stepped off the ferry with Lythia's retainer, Caius, flanking him. Arya and Arietta were carefully leading Lythia to follow the Emperor. The group then started walking towards their destination; the Governor's Residence in Keterburg. Once there Peony knocked and was greeted by one of Nephry's maids.

"I wish to speak to the Governess," he stated.

"Of course, your Majesty," the maid replied, ushering the group in. "I will take you to her."

The maid knocked on another door and spoke.

"Mistress, Emperor Peony is here to speak with you."

There was a sigh and an order to let him in. The maid opened the door and let the group walk in.

"Forgive me for the intrusion Nephry," Peony murmured as he walked in. "However I must ask you a favour."

Nephry looked up from her papers and noticed Lythia.

"Sister!" She gasped, taking in her older sister's appearance. Lythia's violet eyes were dead and her cheeks were stained with tears. The older woman's expression was one of utmost despair. Once Arya had led her to a chair, Lythia sat, unresponsive to the world.

"So Jade truly is dead?" Nephry asked quietly.

"I refuse to believe it," Peony replied, then his gaze moved onto the broken woman who had Arietta wrapped in her arms as she had the night before. "However it is hard to cling to such beliefs when his sister, who adores him, sits in her room and stares at the wall."

"Less than a year has passed since she told Jade the truth," Nephry whispered. "And now she's been told that he's dead... Peony, if... If Jade did survive, you know..."

"Yes, I know," the blonde man replied. "And I will let her."

Nephry stared at her sister for a moment longer before she turned back to the Emperor.

"I've never seen her like this before," she said meekly. Peony pulled the woman into his arms, Nephry didn't resist.

"Neither have I," he admitted.

* * *

 _"Welcome home my son."_

 _"Thank-you Father, I hope that I can be of use to you."_

 _"You are the Crown Prince now Peony, you have much to do."_

 _"Of course Father."_

 _"Excellent, now, come my son. You shall follow me to see your betrothed."_

 _"O-of course. Lythia must have changed much since I last saw her."_

 _"I can't have changed too much, Lord Brother."_

 _"Lythia..."_

* * *

 _~Before Jade's Return – Peony – Gnomeday 15, Ifrit Decan~_

Peony sat on his throne in the Audience hall of his palace, with his chin resting on his hand as he glared at the floor. It was terrifying to witness Lythia so broken. She had grieved before yes, when Peony's sister died and even, surprisingly, when his father died, but neither had affected the woman as much as the news of Jade's death had. There were stories of a time before Peony had returned to Grand Chokmah from his confinement in Keterburg, but Sesemann had sworn that they were the rumours of palace staff and nothing more.

There was much about Lythia's time in Grand Chokmah that Peony wasn't aware of, and now he was starting to wonder what lies the blonde woman had told him. He would always hold unconditional trust in Lythia Balfour, that would never change, but it was Lythia Malkuth, the woman who was his father's puppet, that he had doubts about.

Lythia Malkuth was the woman who had greeted Peony when he had first returned. She was like Peony's older sister, Caela; cold and calculating. But her eyes expressed terror and begged Peony for help.

Peony knew that something about Lythia's time under Emperor Karl's command terrified her, something about that time that she wanted to desperately forget, and something about that time that had a few of the councilmen distrusting the woman.

"Emperor Peony!"

The voice echoing across the room cut through Peony's thoughts as he looked up to see three of the councilmen walking in. He quickly schooled his expression to blankness before he addressed the men who had interrupted his musings.

"Yes?"

The question was rude, but Peony didn't care about being polite in that moment.

"Your Majesty," one of the men called, his voice demanding. "There has been a murder in the city!"

Peony waved his hand for him to continue, staring more attentively, but wondering why this was being shared with him and not the military.

"We suspect Princess Lythia as the culprit."

And there it was. Peony sighed.

"I am afraid, good sirs," the blonde Emperor started with annoyance. "That Princess Lythia is in no way capable of committing murder at this present time, nor is she able to do anything in this city, for she is currently not in Grand Chokmah, nor in the state of mind to move anywhere, let alone out of the room she resides in currently."

"It is an act your Majesty!"

Peony glared at the man speaking.

"You are claiming that it is an act that she has been greatly affected by the news of the death of Jade Curtiss, her blood relative, whom she cared for greatly?" Peony demanded, hating the fact that he was bringing up Jade. Something about these protests felt like a trap.

"Princess Lythia assisted Kimlasca in destroying Akzer_"

"ENOUGH!"

Peony's furious roar echoed around the palace.

"Get out of my palace," the furious emperor snapped shortly. The councilmen looked up at the man and tried once more.

"Please your Majesty!_"

"Do not insinuate that Lythia Balfour was behind the destruction of Akzeriuth," Peony growled. "You insult me, and you insult her. So I shall repeat this only once; get out of my palace!"

From behind the throne where she was perfectly hidden due to her size, Arya dashed out with her rapier and stood between the Emperor and the councilmen when they tried to step forward again.

"His Majesty has asked you to leave," she reiterated coldly. The three men glanced at the child then turned and quickly left. Arya sheathed her blade and sighed.

"They dare insult my lady," the black haired child spat. Peony stood and placed his hand on Arya's head.

"Thank-you Arya," he murmured. "For doing that, and for returning with me to Grand Chokmah instead of remaining with Lythia in Keterburg."

The child sighed again. It had been a week since they had left Lythia with Nephry. Peony decided to write a letter to Nephry about the incident. Perhaps that would help.

* * *

 _Lunaday 9, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Peony-_

 _Caius and Arietta have managed to get Lythia out of her room, but she still won't speak. I've heard rumours of strange happenings in Daath. Arietta has to return to the Order unfortunately. Tell me if anything happens._

 _-Nephry_

* * *

 _Undineday 11, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Nephry-_

 _Nothing has happened as of yet. Several con artists have come claiming to be Jade. I'm sure Lythia would happily execute them if she knew. I think some of the councilmen are up to something. I will write more as soon as either Arya or myself find out._

 _-Peony_

* * *

 _Sylphday 12, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Peony-_

 _Lythia is scaring me! I told her about the Jade imposters and fury just filled her eyes. I don't know what she's doing, Caius doesn't either. I hope your right about Jade being alive. He's the only one who can stop her from whatever she's planning._

 _-Nephry_

* * *

 _Loreleiday 14, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Dear Arietta,_

 _I write in hopes that you will be able to help me. Nephry has heard rumours about strange happenings in Daath. I have to ask if you might be able to shed some light onto this. Also, please do not write about any imposters of Jade Curtiss to Lythia, I believe grief has made her loose her mind. I enclose a copy of both my letter to Nephry and her reply with this letter that I am writing to you._

 _Please help me Arietta, I need to know what is happening in Daath, for the sake of my sanity as well as Lythia's._

 _Sincerely  
Emperor Peony Upala Malkuth IX_

* * *

 _Remday 16, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Nephry-_

 _Stop her from whatever she's doing. The council is after her blood. I suspect they set up a murder in hopes of pinning it on Lythia. They came to me yesterday claiming that she had murdered someone in the city. Clearly they didn't know that she was gone, though I guess that was my plan. I'm sending Arya scouting for information. I've also sent a letter to Arietta in hopes that she'll be able to bring some light upon the rumours in Daath._

 _-Peony_

* * *

 _Ifritday 18, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Peony-_

 _I've managed to distract Lythia I think. I've heard that the Tartarus has been sighted in Daath Bay. Wasn't that stolen by the God-Generals?_

 _-Nephry_

* * *

 _Ifritday 18, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Dear Peony,_

 _I have been unable to discover anything about the rumours here in Daath. Fon Master Ion seems to be acting strange however, and two prisoners were brought into the Daath Headquarters earlier today. I am not permitted to see them or ask who they are unfortunately._

 _From  
Arietta the Wild_

* * *

 _~Before Jade's Return – Nephry – Sylphday 20, Ifrit Decan~_

"It might be a sign?" Nephry muttered in annoyance, reading over the latest letter that Peony had sent her. It was one line, signed with Peony's name, practically dripping with the Emperor's hope that Jade Curtiss was still alive.

With a sigh, Nephry placed the letter on her desk and stood up, moving to her sister's bedroom where she heard Lythia giving instructions to Caius. When she opened the door, Nephry saw Caius staring down at a book, with a quill in his hand and a sheet of parchment beside him. Lythia was standing behind the teenage boy as he wrote something down.

"What are you doing?" Nephry asked curiously. Caius glanced up at the woman who had just walked into the room.

"My lady is teaching me Ancient Ispanian," the boy replied, before returning to his page. Nephry glanced at her sister, noting the way her violet eyes still seemed dead, and the slightly monotone way she spoke. However there was more fury in Lythia's expression than grief. Nephry sighed again and decided to draw out the conversation.

"Is that so? And what Ancient text are you translating there?"

"It's an old fairy tale, something that Emperor Karl had me translate into Ancient Ispanian."

It was not Caius but Lythia that spoke. Nephry shivered at the softness of her sister's voice. This gave Nephry an idea.

"Will you read it to me?" she asked carefully. A rush of victory filled the younger woman as Lythia smiled childishly, a faint spark returning to her gaze. Nephry's violet eyed older sister carefully took the book that Caius was trying to translate. When the young teen tried to complain, Nephry placed her hand gently on his shoulder and shook her head.

"I'll explain later," she whispered into his ear. "For now just listen."

For the next hour the only voice speaking in the house of Governess Nephry was the voice of Lythia Balfour, as she read the fairy tale that Nephry remembered hearing before Lythia had run away when she was nine.

Later, at night, after Lythia had retired for the night, Caius and Nephry spoke in quiet tones in Nephry's study. When they had finished speaking Nephry wrote a final letter to Emperor Peony.

 _Sylphday 20, Ifrit Decan – ND2018_

 _Peony-_

 _I think I have succeeded in distracting Lythia. It is hard seeing my older sister so broken, I will admit. However I am grateful that I have discovered a way to help her. She was reading children's books today, and it was the most peaceful I've seen her for a long time. This will be my last letter to you on this topic. I hope you and Arya are well._

 _-Nephry_

* * *

 **Oh dear! Whatever have I done? No Jade? And stuff is happening to Lythia? The flashback conversation revealed a hint too. I hope you haven't been ignoring the flashback conversations - they hold some very important clues. The Jade gang will return next chapter and another secret shall be revealed.**

 **See you next chapter!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **UNIMPORTANT NOTES:  
**

 **So Lythia doesn't like the idea of Jade imposters. Oh dear, that could spell trouble!**

 **I might have mixed and matched the official Abyss timeline a bit to fit my purposes, but nothing major shall go wrong, I've just moved a few things around to better fit my story, nothing major, though everything after the one month gap might happen a bit slower in my story than it does in game. Not the assumed few days.**

 **Oh dear, the council is targeting Lythia and Peony is furious. This should end well. Something should be done about them!**


	11. Lady Luck

**Hello again to my readers! Been a bit since my last update. I finished my last assessment for the year yesterday so now I'm free, and to celebrate, I'm uploading this chapter early! I haven't gotten anywhere near halfway in my next chapter yet, but that doesn't matter, I have so much more time now! So I will try and complete the next chapter as soon as I can. But anyway! Onto this chapter! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Tales of the Abyss, I cannot, since when it was released I was still in primary school. I do however own Lythia and Arietta and any changes I make to the story. I also own the pain that I put my characters through. Caius is owned by Defiance-of-Fate and any pain that he experiences is approved of by his creator.**

* * *

 **Lady Luck**

Lythia was walking through Keterburg, snarl on her face, as she approached the group of travellers in front of her. They hadn't noticed her presence. The reason why Lythia was following them was because of the ship they had arrived on; the Tartarus, also because they were masquerading around as Jade, Natalia and their group. Lythia was furious.

Walking up behind the short haired red head who was wearing Luke's clothes, she wrapped her arm around his neck, angling her hand so that the dagger in it was resting tip first on the red head's neck. At the same time she threw a statement at the man who looked like Jade.

"You must be very brave, impersonating someone who is dead. Tell me who you are and I'll drag you back to Emperor Peony for judgement. Don't, and I'll kill you all."

Everyone stopped at the frozen tones of Lythia's voice.

"Hello Lythia," replied the man who Lythia threw the question at, turning to face Lythia. "Perhaps you should put your blade away and allow us to explain ourselves?"

"What are you doing Lythia?" the one impersonating Natalia called, shocked. Lythia's grip on the red head tightened slightly, growling at the way that the people in front of her even sounded like Natalia and Jade.

"Exposing imposters," Lythia snapped in reply. "Akzeriuth was destroyed, and Jade, Natalia and the rest of the Ambassadorial party sent from Baticul died. There is no way they survived that catastrophe. If you aren't imposters then you are replicas, and for that I will personally enjoy killing the imitation of my brother."

There was a silence at Lythia's words, a kind of stunned revelation. However the red haired boy squirming in her arms looked confused.

"What?" he asked, drawing the sharp warning glance of Jade. "The only replica here is me, and we did survive the fall of Akzeriuth."

The blonde man in the group pressed his hand to his face exasperatedly. Lythia let out a hysterical giggle.

"Prove it then!" she challenged in a voice that was equally hysterical. The Natalia lookalike stepped forward, pulling a familiar golden clip out of her hair.

"In Baticul, you gave me this," she started cautiously. "You said it was a gift from your brother when you were a child. You told me that it was for good luck and that I was to give it back to you when we finally stood in Grand Chokmah together."

As the honey blonde held the golden vines out to Lythia, no one said anything. Eventually Lythia stood back, releasing Luke. She pointed the dagger at the brunette man with red eyes.

"You," she snapped. "Where's your proof?"

The man stepped forward, around her knife and whispered into her ear.

"Jade, if I died, would you replicate me as if was nothing."

The knife dropped out of Lythia's hand.

"Stop," she murmured. "I don't want to think of that…"

"Have I proven my identity to you?" Jade asked. Tears welled up in Lythia's eyes.

"Why…?" she asked softly, though when she elaborated her voice was louder. "Why didn't you send anything? Why didn't you inform me or Peony that you were still alive? Why Brother, tell me why!"

A sob escaped her lips. Jade looked to the side.

"Forgive me," he murmured. Lythia punched him forcefully, causing Jade to step back. She then threw her arms around him and cried into his chest.

"Idiot," she whispered amongst her sobs. The rest of the party was silent; potentially shocked that Jade was willingly being hugged.

Eventually Lythia's tears subsided and the group was walking to the Governor's Residence. The blonde haired, violet eyed woman kept close to Jade's side, as if fearful that fate would take her brother away from her again. Curiously enough, she left them at the door to Nephry's house saying that she would be at the Keterburg Hotel arranging rooms for their stay. Lythia retreated quickly, leaving a confused group behind her.

"Is something wrong?" Tear asked Jade. The brunette man was frowning, but he quickly turned a smile upon Tear.

"Let us see the Governess," he said, not answering Tear's question. He glanced back in the direction that Lythia had run in, before he opened the door to the Governess' Residence. Walking inside he greeted Caius who had been standing in the foyer, smirking slightly at the mix of glare and surprise on the teen's face. Without a word the boy lead the group into Nephry's study.

"Jade?" Nephry gasped, looking shocked. "You are alive?"

"Hello Nephry," the red eyed man replied. "It's been a long time hasn't it? Not since your wedding I believe."

To Jade's surprise there was a flash of contempt in his youngest sister's eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Are you really my brother?" the blonde woman asked, but then her voice changed tone. "They said you were killed at Akzeriuth. No… that is a stupid question. You wouldn't be alive if you hadn't proven yourself to Lythia. The cut on your friend's neck speaks of your encounter."

"But Lythia said she'd take us to Emperor Peony if we didn't prove who we were," Tear stated. The look that Nephry gave the young soldier was bland.

"She lied," came the voice of Caius, the boy was staring at the Malkuth Colonel. "She would have killed you all on the spot if he wasn't Jade Curtiss."

"Perhaps we both have explaining to do," Jade suggested. The group sat around Nephry's study as they explained about Akzeriuth, and in turn Nephry recounted what had happened in the past two weeks. Jade's cheerful smile, that he had been maintaining for the entire conversation, slipped when Nephry spoke about Lythia's descent into insanity.

"I'll have people inspect the Tartarus," Nephry stated softly after she had finished talking about Lythia. "Once you've resupplied, please go see Emperor Peony. He's been very worried – for both you and Lythia."

"Oh? Didn't everyone think I was dead?" Jade asked, surprised. Nephry stood up.

"His Majesty was the only one who believed you were still alive," the woman replied. Jade frowned slightly.

"Why didn't Lythia?" he inquired quietly. His youngest sister moved to a box on the side of the room and pulled out a letter, handing it to Jade. The red eyed man read it without a word, before silently handing it back to Nephry and leaving the room. The confused calls after him were silenced by Nephry as she held up her hands.

"Where is my sister?" she asked. Tear recounted what had happened at Keterburg Bay and how Lythia had gone towards the hotel. Nephry sighed and turned to a window, staring out it.

"Please take advantage of the rooms that my sister is giving you," she murmured. "Keterburg is a tourist city, you'll be safe here."

Recognising the dismissal, the party went to leave. Nephry turned back and placed her hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Please come by again later," she murmured into his ear. "I'd like a word with you, alone, if you don't mind."

The red head's slight nod was the only indication she received that he had acknowledged her words. When the room was empty again, Nephry returned to her desk and picked up her pen, only to put it down again as she realised her hands her shaking. Jade was alive, he had returned. Nephry didn't know how to react. With another sigh, Nephry stared out the window again at the snow which had started falling.

"Are you too late brother?"

* * *

" _B-big brother?"_

" _Yes Nephry?"_

" _Where is Lythia?"_

" _I don't know."_

" _Why not? She was with you!"_

" _You haven't seen Lythia since last night?"_

" _No_ Hey! Where are you going?"_

" _To find our sister."_

" _Brother?"_

* * *

Jade was running through Keterburg, drawing stares from the people he passed, but he didn't care. The receptionist at the hotel had told him that Lythia had left a minute before he arrived. He would have laughed quietly at the irony of the situation if he hadn't been trying to find his sister. Much like twenty-four years ago, Lythia had been with him, they had parted ways, and now he didn't know where his sister was.

He stopped in surprise when he noticed where he had run; Professor Nebilim's old house. Carefully, Jade approached the ruins of the building.

"That's right…" he murmured. "Lythia ran away several days after the Professor died…"

"I didn't run because Professor Nebilim died due to your idiocrasy, you know."

The voice was soft and childish. Jade turned around to face Lythia who had somehow approached him silently from behind.

"I ran away because you used fomicry on my pet and it hurt me," she continued. "You hurt me, and I was afraid of you for the first time in my life. I asked you if you would use fomicry on me if I died, but you answered by telling me that I don't matter. That made me fear you more."

"I swear to you, little sister," Jade said. "I am not that child."

"Jade Balfour is dead," Lythia commented, grabbing her brother's hand.

"As is Lythia Balfour," Jade replied. Lythia froze at the words, before she smiled tightly.

"I suppose she is," she responded. The two stared at each other for a few more moments, before they returned to the Keterburg hotel. The two were silent in their walk. As they entered the hotel they noticed that Luke was missing from the group.

"Where is young Luke fon Fabre?" Lythia inquired, violet eyes scanning the room for the red head.

"He went to talk to the Governess," Natalia replied. Lythia nodded her assent. There was small conversation after that statement, Ion talking quietly with Lythia, before the group split, returning to their rooms. Jade and Lythia however remained. They decided to wait for Luke to return, Jade went to wait outside Nephry's house, but Lythia sat on the stairs leading up to the Hotel.

A few minutes of silence had Lythia humming softly, violet eyes watching the falling snow. Over a full year it had been since she had last allowed herself to just stare at the snow and admire its beauty. Several more minutes passed before Lythia heard the crunch of boots on snow.

"I'm sorry."

The voice of Luke reached her ears and Lythia turned her head to face him.

"What are you apologising for?" she asked softly.

"I caused Akzeriuth_"

"Stop."

Lythia stood as she interrupted Luke, holding up a finger in a shushing gesture, moving so that she could extent her arm and press that finger against Luke's lips.

"I will not hear an apology for Akzeriuth," she asserted. "You did not go to the city with the intention to destroy it. Fon Master Ion told me that Vandesdelca made you set off the hyperresonance that destroyed the passage ring. How, I don't know, but I trust Ion, and judging from the Commandant's suspicious activity in Daath, I would be willing to agree. You are at fault for not questioning yours and Van's actions. You are at fault for not trusting your team. You are not, however, the mastermind behind the destruction of an entire city."

The short haired, red head boy stared up at Lythia with awe, wide eyes pleading, as if begging for her words to be truth. The Malkuth woman stared at the boy with pity.

"When you work out what you should be apologizing for, come to me," she said, before she walked past him, towards Jade. Lythia stopped however when a quiet question followed her.

"Why are your eyes violet?"

The question ran itself through Lythia's head. She had been asked the same question many times, she had even asked it herself. Many had commented on the odd colour of her eyes, so why was it that Luke asking made her stop and think.

"I've… always… had violet eyes… haven't I… Jade?" she asked her brother hesitantly, voice soft. Her eyes, which were the very topic of the conversation, searched the face of her sibling for signs of deception. It was easy to see the forced smile on Jade's face.

"Of course, little sister," he replied, bringing his hand to rest on Lythia's head, even though she was only a few inches shorter than he was. Lythia frowned, but nodded.

"I'm going to go talk to Tear, Anise and Natalia," she murmured before walking back into the hotel. Jade and Luke watched her go.

When the door shut behind the woman, Luke turned to Jade. He remained silent for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Did you not just tell me off a few minutes ago for telling lies like that?" he asked. Red eyes flicked to meet green. Jade sighed.

"It's too late to tell her the truth now," the Colonel stated. "She would have been told when she turned thirteen, but she had run away well before then, and the person who had to be the one to tell her died. I don't know enough to tell Lythia the truth, I suspect the doctor who she sees wouldn't be able to properly explain it either."

"Did you do something to her eyes?"

"Why Luke, I'm hurt," Jade mocked lightly, before his voice turned serious. "No, it wasn't I that did something, but Professor Nebilim, and I find myself become more grateful that she did."

The Colonel didn't let Luke ask why, instead he ushered him into the hotel and they walked to their room, where Guy and Ion were already sleeping. While Luke allowed himself to succumb to sleep, Jade could not, for the events that had taken place in the past few hours kept replaying in his mind.

Another voice interrupted his thoughts however, the voice of Guy.

"Just how many sisters do you have," the blonde man asked sleepily. Jade looked over at the man who had spoke.

"Just Lythia and Nephry," he replied softly. "The reaction to Nephry being my sister wasn't as great as the reaction to Lythia being my sister when you all found out in Belkend."

Guy sent him a withered glare, but Jade didn't see it, for he had already turned away. The Colonel stood and walked over to the window, deciding to stare out at the falling snow.

"Why did you hide the fact?" the blonde man inquired, sounding more awake then he had moments ago. At this, Jade's smirk returned.

"Your reactions were just simply amusing to me."

There was an irritated sigh and a shift of covers. The silence in the room told Jade that Guy had returned to sleep. Jade Curtiss didn't sleep that night, and for the first time, truly regretting that he chose to believe that Lythia had died instead of trying to discover the miracle. There was one thing that bothered the man though, something that he felt he needed to address as soon as they got to Grand Chokmah. Lythia should have been able to tell the instant she saw them that they were not replicas, so why did it even occur to her that they could have been?

The next morning, Jade, Lythia and Nephry faced each other, at the docks of Keterburg Bay. There was an awkward silence between the three, but Lythia was content to ignore it, too happy, as it had been over twenty-four years since she and her siblings had stood together. Farewells were said, and Lythia promised to see Nephry as soon as she could. There was an implied threat that she would be bringing up an old argument the next time they met. The two sisters laughed lightly, breaking the tension that hung in the air.

Then Lythia followed Luke and Mieu onto the Tartarus, asking the two questions as Tear and Anise walked behind them. Natalia was frowning at Lythia's back, which Guy and Jade caught, but the two men didn't comment. Once the Tartarus was moving, Jade noticed several habits of his sister's coming back to light. They way that she stood sentinel over the bridge, watching Guy and Anise as they helped Jade control the great ship, and how she would always stare at her rapier when she was lost in though. However, there were a few new habits which worried the Colonel. Most notably, the way that she would never let Jade out of her sight. If she wasn't in the room with him, than Caius was. When Jade had asked the young teen why, Caius would shrug and merely comment that he was following orders. That was something else that Jade would have to ask his sister about when they got to Grand Chokmah it seemed.

* * *

 **Yep, so now Lythia knows that her brother is alive, Nephry doesn't know how to react to Jade's survival, and Lythia doesn't seem to blame Luke for Akzeriuth. And the Balfour style humour is running full force. Many many interesting points raised in this chapter. Hope to see you next time. I will try to update again before Christmas!**

 **Until then please review!**

 **Also! I have a poll on my profile page - I'm thinking of changing my penname - please go vote on it.**

 **Thanks!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **Unimportant notes:**

 **Lythia has gone insane. There is no question about that. Whether she recovers her sanity is a different question, but my plan for the outcome of her insanity is a go. I will thoroughly enjoy writing the lines said by characters. x3 Nephry's question is still a valid one though; is Jade too late?**

 **Luke might get slapped by Lythia later. From what I understand about Luke's mindset, he stubbornly sticks to beliefs that he has. What I mean by this I'll explain later. Anyway, Lythia is trying to tell Luke to accept the responsibility of his own actions, not take the blame for something he didn't do.**

 **Oh dear, I did it again, I raised the "Lythia/Jade Balfour is dead" line. I wonder why I keep doing that.**


	12. Unveiled Truths

**Hello and Happy New Year! Whether your in the 1st, 2nd of this year or still in the 31st of last year, the sentiment is still the same. I look back and I realise the achievement I have in this story. At current I have 20 planned chapters as well as a planned Finale and Epilogue (as two different chapters). There is also an alternative ending to this story that I thought up, as well as a few short crossover fics that I hope to eventually write. Feel free to PM me and ask.**

 **Anyway here's chapter 12 (wow, so far already!) Enjoy!**

 **I don't own Tales of the Abyss. That belongs to Bandai Namco. Lythia and Arya are mine. Caius belongs to Defiance-of-Fate.**

* * *

 **Unveiled Truths**

If there was something that Lythia had thought she'd never experience, it would be riding the Tartarus over the ocean. If there was something that Lythia had forgotten, it was how slow the Tartarus was when there was a minimal number of crew, which wasn't something she had experienced since she owned the ship, when it was it was still being tested for the battlefield. She kind of wished that it was still hers, but alas, its ownership had passed to her brother. What she was discovering however was the ship's apparent ability to float on water. At this point, Lythia didn't know whether to be jealous that she was no longer the commander of the ship, or angry that her ship had been roughly thrown into the Qliphoth where the sludge killed the Tartarus' ability to traverse the land.

"I suppose I can't really call it my ship anymore," Lythia murmured, glaring lightly at her brother. Dragging her mind out of her thoughts, the blonde woman went to stand behind Guy who was inputting commands into the console in front of him. It had been two days since they had left Keterburg and they had finally reached Rotelro Bridge, having decided to dock there since Guy had apparently, correctly noted that Grand Chokmah was sealed off.

Examining his work she decided to ask a question.

"Do you work with fon machines much Guy?"

The inquiry was met with a groan from Anise and a snicker from Luke. The next few minutes were filled with the two blondes trying to find a common ground in the topic of fon technology, eventually settling on the theoretical side of fomicry machines, debating on the efficiency of the machine inside Choral Castle and comparing it to other fomicry machines that Lythia had seen. The blonde woman didn't explain how she had seen as many of the machines as she had, but she did appear very knowledgeable on the subject.

Throughout the conversation, Guy's gynophobia, which Lythia had been informed of, did not react to the way that the Ward princess gestured almost wildly when presenting her arguments or the way that she leaned over the servant's shoulder, showing him a diagram she had quickly drawn up on the parchment she kept in her pocket for such times. The rest of the party seemed to note this fact with an interest, finding it funny that Guy could ignore his fear of women if he was talking about something he was passionate about.

The conversation ended when the landship, which really couldn't be called that anymore, docked at the broken Rotelro Bridge. It had taken four days to traverse the ocean and it was easy to see half of the party's relief of being off the ship. From there they started walking up towards Theor Forest, a week's journey away.

A day away from the forest and the group stopped to camp for the night, like each other night. Silence reigned until Guy directed a new statement at Lythia, who was siting a little way off from the group, back to back with Caius, both keeping their sharp gazes on the area surrounding the camp.

"I do believe you never introduced yourself to us properly, Lythia."

"I could say the same about you all," the woman responded shortly. After a short pause she spoke again. "Alright then. I'm Lythia Bal_"

"Lythia."

She was interrupted by Natalia, who was giving her a reprimanding look.

"They might not know you well enough to know when you are hiding something," the Kimlascan princess commented, "but that does not mean that I shall let you hide this truth here. Please refrain from excluding important information, I do not wish to see nor hear the shock of the truth in Grand Chokmah. Proper titles, Lythia."

Lythia sighed sharply, letting her eyes close in frustration, as she had hoped to avoid using her much hated title of 'Ward Princess'. Caius notably glanced back at his liege.

"Of course," she responded, warily. "I am Princess Lythia Bal_ fine. Malkuth, adopted daughter of former Emperor Karl the Fifth, younger sister of Jade Curtiss, older sister of Nephry Balfour and current heir to the throne of Malkuth until my Lord Brother Peony marries and gives the Empire a child. I am Major in the Malkuth Imperial Army, Third Division, under the command of Colonel Curtiss."

Jade, Natalia, Caius and Ion didn't react to the information at all, this they already knew. Anise blinked in surprise before understanding spread across her face as she remembered seeing Arya around, and remembered why Caius was with them. Guy, Luke and Tear however were stunned into silence. It was Luke who recovered first.

"Princess? You're a princess?" asked the red head. The question caused Lythia to turn her head slightly in the group's direction, making sure that her eyes never left the field.

"Yes, though had Emperor Karl lived just two weeks longer and I would have been Peony's wife," she whispered. In the open field, most of the party almost didn't hear her words.

"Better to be a princess with two brothers, than an Empress in a loveless marriage," Jade commented. A sharp nod from his sister was the only acknowledgement of his words before the blonde woman turned back to the field. There was a shocked noise from Guy however, a few seconds later.

"I've heard of you," he said neutrally. "A few years ago, some maids were talking about the would be 'Queen of Malkuth'. How is it that you are not married to Emperor Peony?"

 _It would have been better if you hadn't asked that_ , Lythia thought, glaring at the horizon as she considered her answer. There was a faint growl from Caius, but Lythia gently touched his hand, silently ordering him to stand down.

"While yes, I was meant to marry Peony," the princess started. "It was only on the terms that Emperor Karl had set forward when he adopted me. I was to marry Peony a month after my twenty-first birthday."

"But Emperor Karl died a week before then," noted Jade, earning another nod from Lythia. There were another few minutes of silence, before Anise spoke up.

"Since you are the princess… you would live in the palace, correct?" the black-haired child asked, continuing before Lythia could respond with snark. "Do you know the 'Witch Child'?"

The peaceful silence that had existed suddenly became quite cold as everyone recognised the moniker. Lythia had frozen, no longer watching for danger, as the question played itself over and over in her mind. Had she been more aware of her own reactions, she would not have stopped.

"Yes," Lythia murmured after a long pause, drawing the gazes of everyone. "I know her. Very well… Too well…"

She could feel the expressionless, red eyed, gaze of her brother on the back of her neck, and she knew that he was trying to decipher her words. Thankfully Guy drew the attention away from her.

"The Witch Child?" he asked, confused. "Isn't she the rumoured servant of the Malkuth Emperors? A rumour around Auldrant of the punishment of criminals who had committed the greatest crimes being taken to a room in the palace_"

"And never heard from again?" Lythia finished, no longer sitting lookout as she turned to face Guy. "Is that the most recent story or have the people added that the corpses show up a few days later in the forests, since I last told the story to the children in Grand Chokmah?"

"I have heard both recently," Guy responded.

"Yes, as have I," Jade added, keeping his gaze on Lythia. "I've wondered about those rumours myself, especially since there has been heard from this witch since the former Emperor died. All that's left is stories."

More silence, dark and miserable. Natalia stood up and walked so that she was next to Lythia, before she sat next to the Malkuth woman, letting her hand rest on Lythia's shoulder. Finally the blonde Malkuth Imperial spoke.

"I was the Witch Child," she admitted, keeping her eyes staring forward, letting a cold glare create a mask over her face that didn't match her soft tone. "I killed those men the stories speak of, with a nightmarish arte that has me deserving of the title 'Necromancer.' Afterwards, the bodies would be burned on Emperor Karl's command."

"Are you going to tell them_" Natalia started to ask, only to be cut off by Lythia standing up.

"I will never say those words, Princess Natalia," the blonde woman said, her voice dropping to being deadly cold. "Those were your words, not mine. No one will ever hear that from me. This conversation is over, think me a heartless monster if you will, I care not. If you wish to know the rest then ask Peony. He _might_ consider telling you if you beg."

There was an aura of anger, fear and disgust surrounding Lythia, tangible as she stalked off into the night, leaving a stunned group behind her. Before anyone could say anything, Jade stood and followed her. No one chose to comment after that, opinions already forming and a silent consensus to try and get an answer from Emperor Peony. Caius took up watch next as the rest of the group fell into an uneasy sleep.

Later Jade returned with a sleeping Lythia in his arm. His crimson eyes shot a glance at Caius, as if daring him to comment, but the young retainer wisely remained quiet, but he did glare at the form of the sleeping princess. The next morning the trip continued in a tense atmosphere, conversation clipped, with Tear, Anise and Natalia walking and seemingly communicating through hand gestures, Luke and Ion quietly discussing something to do with the Order of Lorelei, and Guy was walking next to Caius, but the young teen was blatantly ignoring everybody. Lythia and Jade walked together, seemingly having a quiet argument.

They soon found themselves approaching the checkpoint in Theor Forest. The tension in the group strangely dissipated when one of the soldiers standing at the checkpoint called out.

"Who are you?!"

Jade stepped forward.

"I'm Colonel Jade Curtiss, commander of the Third Division, Malkuth Imperial Forces," he asserted firmly. Lythia walked up behind him.

"I vouch for his identity," she stated. The soldier glanced at his companion.

"Colonel Curtiss, we heard you were lost in the destruction of Akzeriuth, and that Major Balfour fell into grief," he commented, slightly shocked. Jade frowned at that.

"Viscount Osborne of Keterburg will vouch for both my identity and Major Balfour's sanity," he replied. Behind them there was a small snort from Caius, but the reprimanding hiss from Natalia let them ignore the teen as they tried to negotiate their way into Grand Chokmah. Sadly the guards would only let Jade, Lythia and Caius through, though the siblings didn't expect anything more than that. The rest of the party accepted this, mostly.

"Caius, please stay here," Lythia ordered quietly. "That might put the good soldiers here at ease."

"Yes my lady," the teen said curtly, making Lythia frown slightly.

"Thank-you Caius," she replied with a tight smile. Turning on her heel, she nodded to the soldiers and then the siblings walked forward, following the soldiers towards the capital.

* * *

" _A fine day it is, isn't it young Lythia?"_

" _Yes, Lord Father."_

" _Have I displeased you at all my young daughter?"_

" _No, Lord Father."_

" _Then why do you reply so shortly?"_

" _I will endeavour to speak longer sentences in the future, my Lord Father."_

" _Go Lythia, Caela is looking for you."_

" _Farewell, Lord Father."_

* * *

Peony sat on his throne, regarding the person in front of him with conflicted emotions. On one hand he should be overjoyed, Jade was standing there, alive and well, and Lythia had returned with him and was currently in her rooms, talking to Arya. On the other hand he should be furious; Jade was standing there, five weeks after he had parted ways with Lythia in Baticul, not sending any report to inform anyone that he was still alive.

"Do you know how hard I'm finding it right now to not confine you to the city, Jade Curtiss?" the Emperor asked after staring at the man. "Just over eight weeks ago I sent you to Baticul. Five weeks ago you leave said city for Akzeriuth. Four weeks ago Lythia returns and a week after that we hear that you are dead. For two weeks, Nephry and I are exchanging letters to try and ensure that Lythia is alright, as well as hear of any whispering of you and the rest of the ambassadorial party. After that? Nothing. I hear nothing until now. Is it so hard to send even just a single word signed with your name?"

"Forgive me, your Majesty," Jade murmured. Peony, feeling particularly vindictive that day, stood up and grabbed the collar of the brunette soldier's coat, almost tempted to shove him into the wall, but refraining from doing so.

"She. Is. Your. Sister," the blonde Emperor snarled viciously. "You are the person she looks up to. Everything she does is for you. Does that not matter to you?!"

"She has you," the Colonel replied. The glare that Peony was sending him darkened.

"I am not her brother, unlike you, and I never will be unless I ever have the chance marry Nephry."

Peony released his grip on Jade's clothes and walked to the window behind his throne, watching the waterfall.

"I am not you Jade," he murmured, anger spent. "She calls me Lord Brother, but it is just a meaningless title that comes from the mouth of Lythia Malkuth, spoken only because it is proper etiquette. I cannot take your place as her brother. She would not let me."

They stood in the room in silence for a few minutes more, not moving. Jade remained because he had not been dismissed. Peony however was not going to be speaking as he stood, thinking. With a sigh he turned around again.

"Bring your friends here, Jade," he ordered. "I will hear them speak. But first, go report to Aslan. Then find Lythia."

Jade bowed and left, without a word other than 'your Majesty', as he went to go find the Brigadier General. Peony watched him walk away with an exasperated expression adorning his face. Why was it so hard for Jade to realise his actions have consequences and sometimes there was no solution? The man could see it in battle, why was family different?

 _That is a good question actually_ , Peony mused.

* * *

 **-Lythia gained the title "Witch Child"-**

 **"Witch Child - A reminder of a dark past, but comments from someone have others wondering how dark."**

 **So there's that. I like writing angry Peony, I feel it suits when he does it. Because he is a ruler I am sure that there is a lot of emotions that we never see Peony express during the game.**

 **I'm building a distinction between Lythia Balfour and Lythia Malkuth it seems, even though they are the same person. Kudos to the one who can guess why.**

 **Anyway, my next update might take a while - reasons? 1/ I haven't started the next chapter yet, unlike all my previous chapters where I tried to remain ahead. And 2/ I finally used my code for a month of free Blizzard World of Warcraft, which I got from my copy of the Warcraft Movie. I have a month of playing with my blood-elf warlock, Lytheia (Lythia was apparently taken). I will work on the next chapters (there is only so much WoW I can play in one day), and try to update again soon, but if failing to do so this month, I will update again on February 1st.**

 **See you all next chapter!**

 **~Icetail~**

 **Unimportant Notes (maybe important):**

 **So Lythia is the Witch Child. I've been planning this since I turned my Avatar (conveniently named Lythia) in Fire Emblem Fates into a witch. It was a cute costume, then the story came ^^' Don't expect the backstory to be cute though. And Caius seems to be treating Lythia differently because of this information now... I have plans. Will have to pass them by Defiance-of-Fate though.**

 **What does Lythia know about fomicry? That will be explained... next chapter I believe... It's in my plan. What else fomicry shall happen next chapter? An explanation as to why replicating Lythia would be pointless. Which includes what Nebilim did.**

 **The whole heir to the throne thing? Lythia is, by technicality, the next in line for the throne, as she is the only other member of the House of Malkuth alive, aside from Peony. Should Peony get married and have a child, then that child would become the next in line. Lythia would prefer that, but the council (and the Score) stand in the way at the moment.**

 **And Lythia being the previous owner of the Tartarus - thats literally nothing, since the Tartarus won't be around long anyway. I just decided that Lythia should have a reason to get annoyed at the treatment of the ship, so she was it's owner while it was still being tested. This fact will only be raised again once, when the Tartarus gets dropped into the core. After that it will never be raised again.**


	13. A Promise Fulfilled

**Hello everyone! It is February 1st here in Australia, and I have just finished this chapter for you all. As promised; I'm posting it today. More notes at the bottom but an important thing now it that there is a section in this chapter, written under the assumption that EVERYTHING is made up of fonons. Whether it is true or not in the game is irrelevant. So without further ado; Chapter 13!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss or Caius Yamada. Rights go to respective owners.**

* * *

 **A Promised Fulfilled**

"You decided to sneak through the forest?"

Lythia's disbelief coloured her words, but amusement sparkled in her violet eyes. Before her was Luke, Natalia and Tear as they recounted why Aslan Frings had approached her, informing her that "curious Kimlascans" had found their way through the Theor Forest.

"You, for all intents and purposes," the Malkuth Princess continued, "passed through enemy territory to _spy_ on activities beyond the checkpoint. It doesn't matter that you were looking for Oracle Knights. You should have waited, _trusted_ that we had it under control. Had it been any other circumstance, you would be locked up, not set free."

"At ease Major," came the voice of General Frings as he stepped out of the shadows. Instantly Lythia fell silent and stepped back as the man approached. There was no expression on the General's face, even Lythia, who could read his expressions well, couldn't discern any emotions. _Must be the Kimlascans that are causing it_ , Lythia mused.

"While her act to mask her wish to encourage you further is applaudable," the General started, giving a half-hearted, pointed glare at Lythia, whom seemed to stand up straighter, her eyes widening with surprise. "Major Balfour must really be going off to find her brother."

"Hmph, you send me cause you don't want to face Jade in case he decided to get drunk," the blonde woman huffed.

"How very eloquent milady," General Frings commented dryly, earning himself an obscene hand gesture from the woman as she walked off.

"My brother is Jade Curtiss and I have practically lived in the military since I was thirteen," were her parting words. "I might be Princess of Malkuth, but I can be crude if the situation demands."

Lythia disappeared through a doorway without another word. After a few moments of silence, Frings turned back to Natalia, Luke and Tear.

"She and Colonel Curtiss will meet us in the imperial palace," he commented. "Are you ready to head towards the palace now?"

The group of three nodded in response, slightly shocked at Lythia's attitude, wondering if it was a normal occurrence. A glance at General Frings as they followed him however, told them that Lythia's behaviour was new, and the good General was concerned. That didn't put the group's minds at ease.

* * *

When Lythia had entered the palace with Jade at her side, the two siblings noted the group's awkward silence with a quick glance at each other, but the two, ultimately ignoring the awkwardness, simply lead the way to the audience hall. There, Lythia took a place behind Peony's throne on the dais and Jade stood to the side of the room. Peony glanced at his two friends with a conflicted expression on his face, but that quickly turned into a wry smile as he observed the group before him.

"Ah, you must be the ones dragging my Jade all over the place and keeping him away from home," the blonde Emperor commented slyly, earning a light, irritated murmur from Lythia and a confused and unsure gasp from Luke. "And then he goes and gets himself hit with a fon slot seal. He's nothing but trouble when he's useless, huh?"

The glare that Peony could feel Lythia sending him was worth the stunned and bewildered faces of the group.

"Your Majesty," Jade almost snarled, and it was almost a snarl, the Emperor and the shared sister could both see it. "Must you confuse our guests?"

Peony apologised with a laugh, and the conversation continued. Lythia watched silently, not feeling the need to speak up. At one point she almost did, however Jade cut in before she could. The impending war was brought up, and then St Binah. The conversation was interesting until Luke spoke in answer to a question of Peony's.

"I am a criminal to Malkuth. I am to blame for what's happening. I want to do anything I can. I want to save everyone."

Lythia walked forward then, wearing an exasperated expression.

"That's all well and good, Luke fon Fabre," she started, sending the red haired boy a light glare. "However I told you in Keterburg, that you are not the mastermind that caused the destruction of the mining city. Do not take the blame for that tragedy."

Peony stared at Lythia with surprise, then smiled. Seemingly ignoring the exchange that just took place, the Emperor let his chin come to rest on his hand as Jade started to speak.

"If I may make a suggestion," the brunette man stated. "Perhaps Luke and my unit could evacuate St. Binah, while General Nordheim contains the northward moving Kimlascan army."

The blonde Emperor smiled and shifted his gaze towards his military advisor.

"Well, Sesemann?" he asked. "That seems like it would work. So what do you think? Both Jade and Lythia say we can trust these guys."

Lythia snickered at the way that Sesemann reprimanded Peony for calling the group 'these guys', but fell silent when the greying man turned a sharp glare upon her.

"We will try to gain the council's approval," Sesemann said, giving the two royal siblings, adopted one may be, another glare, at Peony's less than eloquent reply and Lythia's resumed snickering.

"So you won't abandon St. Binah…?" Luke asked, drawing the attention of Emperor Peony once more.

"Of course not," the blonde man replied, standing up. "They are my precious citizens. Please help them."

"I'll do everything in my power," Luke murmured, Natalia echoing his words. General Nordheim and Sesemann left the room, leaving the group, Peony and Lythia. Peony looked at the blonde woman and decided to act upon the promise he had given Nephry back in Keterburg.

"As much as I would like to order you to stay Lythia," he said, "you will be going with your brother to St. Binah. It would be counterproductive to keep you here when there is nothing for you to do."

Lythia said nothing, but her eyes sparkled with barely concealed relief. She nodded her affirmation to Peony and she turned to leave the room, but Luke raised the question that had been sitting on the group's mind ever since the issue had been raised.

"Your Majesty, may I ask what Princess Lythia is so desperate to hide about her past as the Witch Child?"

The blonde woman, walking towards the door of the audience hall, faltered in her step at the hesitant inquiry. Though Lythia resolutely kept walking, it was easy to see that she had slowed her pace so that she could hear Emperor Peony's response. The man's silence was as long as his adopted sister's pause and he replied as if commenting on the weather, his surprise at the Witch Child revelation only noticeable by the way his eyes widened when Luke mentioned it.

"An interesting question, to say the least, Sir Luke," Peony responded. "We all have secrets, what makes you think I know my lady sister's?"

"She said that you knew," Tear injected. At this, Peony raised his eyebrow speculatively.

"Is that so?" He asked, after considering the group for a few seconds. Lythia had, by now, almost reached the end of the room. Peony continued. "Perhaps if you can tell me the name that my father bestowed upon Lythia, then I'll tell you. But you should know that secrets should be kept, don't you, Sir Luke?"

There was a certain harshness to his tone, reprimanding, that seemed to pull a shroud of discouragement over the party. The room knew that a dangerous topic had been touched on and that Emperor Peony was all but ordering to keep their inquiries to themselves. As Peony stood to follow Lythia however, a voice spoke up, from the corner of the room, the owner having going unnoticed for the whole meeting.

"Lythia Kari Malkuth."

A strangled gasp escaped from Lythia, as she quickly turned her head in the direction of the voice.

"Caius," she murmured, before she realised what had been said, and quickly fled the room. Natalia let out a cry of surprise, before she chased after Lythia. Peony turned his gaze upon the brown haired teen.

"We will talk later, Caius Yamada," the Emperor said coldly. "You do not understand what you have just done. No one should know that name, most of all, me. The Witch Child should have remained a children's story, something my father created and something he should have taken with him on his death."

Nothing was said as the Emperor swept past. Peony stopped at the door, much like Lythia had done.

"Jade, bring your group to my chambers once your other young swordsman has recovered," he stated, not looking behind him to the man he was talking to. "I have something to tell you all that should not be overheard."

Peony left the room, leaving behind him dead silence. No one said anything for a few minutes after that.

* * *

" _There is something I need to ask you, Lord Brother."_

" _Yes Lythia?"_

" _Before our Lord Father died, did he tell you my name?"_

" _What name? What are you talking about Lythia?"_

" _The name that he gave me when he adopted me."_

" _No, he didn't tell me that name. He only told Franz."_

" _Good. I can never tell you that name. It will only bring despair to everyone."_

" _I believe you, my Lady Sister."_

* * *

The Black-Market of Grand Chokmah was crowded as usual, many people selling simple trinkets that, however illegal they looked, were just simple artefacts and things that weren't what the military believed them to be. Two women walked through the crowds, one with crimson red hair and bandages around her eyes and the other with black hair and jasper green eyes. Both women were wearing the brightly coloured dresses of the Chesedonian dancers.

The two women entered the tavern with the sign out front naming the building as "The Broken Dagger" and walked up to the tanned woman behind the bar, Dalia, who was currently talking to a cloaked man sipping a drink.

"Ah and here is the woman you are looking for Mr. Colonel," Dalia said, drawing the man's attention to the pair who had entered the currently empty tavern. "Anything you want or need to know about fomicry the you need to talk to Lillian fon Fabre. She's been collecting that information for years. Every known fomicry experiment that has taken place ever since it was banned she knows about, she even knows about most of the experiments from before it was banned as well."

The cloaked man turned his head, to face the two. The crimson haired woman stepped forward, not seeing the way her companion's eyes widened at the brunette hair that fell from the cloak's hood.

"I am Lillian fon Fabre," the crimson haired woman introduced. "Who is it that's asking for me?"

"Jade Curtiss."

The simple reply had both women surprised. Without a comment, Lillian made an indicating hand gesture towards the stairs and tossed a few coins on the bar top. The small group of three then proceeded through the halls of the building to a room with a dark wood door. Once inside, Lillian turned to Jade.

"Did your sister not teach you _anything_ about this place?!" the red head demanded. "You are either ignorant to the rules of this place or you are a truly desperate man, Jade Curtiss. One never reveals their true name within the buildings of the guild."

The room was silent for a few moments before Lillian turned to her companion.

"Ester, wait outside. Jade and I talk alone."

The black haired woman left the room and then Lillian and Jade were alone. Crimson hair hid the blindfolded woman's face from Jade as she looked towards the door in thought.

"So tell me Jade Curtiss," she started, not moving aside from her mouth. "What information do you seek? For whatever it is, all I ask in return is the secret of Lythia Balfour's violet eyes."

Lillian could feel the glare that Jade was sending her, so she turned her head in his direction, letting the man fully see the bandages wrapped around her eyes. Clean, unadulterated by blood or any other substance, and quite clearly new.

"There is nothing to tell about my sister's eyes," Jade responded, his voice slightly strained. The red haired woman stood up and walked towards the door.

"Then we have nothing to talk about."

Emotionless words that said nothing about what Lillian thought. The woman left the room, greeted Ester, and the two walked back down to the main part of the tavern, which had a few more people occupying it now. Lillian and Ester split then and walked towards different people, trading information as the Information Guild was known for. That was how they were when Jade walked out of the tavern a few minutes later. The man never noticed the golden vine clip in Lillian's hair.

* * *

There was a frantic rustling of books in the library of the great palace in Grand Chokmah. Lythia was disregarding her usual respect for books as she hurriedly pulled books off shelves and shoved them back on when they weren't the one she was looking for. What she was looking for however wasn't in the library, it never was. It had been with Jade ever since its previous owner died. Gelda Nebilim's journal would hold all the answers she was looking for.

"What are you searching for, dear sister?"

Lythia turned quickly in surprise to face Jade as he stood in the doorway of the library. There was silence between them as they stared at each other, Lythia wondering if she should ask the one question on her mind, and Jade waiting for an answer.

"What aren't you telling me about my eyes?" Lythia finally asked quietly. Jade looked away and opened his mouth to say something, but Lythia cut him off, anger flashing in her violet eyes.

"Do not tell me that there is nothing!" she spat. "I am not stupid!"

There was a sharp sigh from Jade. In a moment of weakness that he would only show his sister, the brunette man let his hand run through his hair and he sagged against the doorframe beside him.

"I wasn't meant to be the one to tell you," he murmured in defeat. "Professor Nebilim should have, or our parents, but they are dead. Peony doesn't know enough to tell you. You were born blind, Lythia. The Professor cast an arte upon your eyes to give you sight, or a semblance of sight at least."

Any anger or frustration that Lythia felt dissipated, causing the blonde woman to take a step back in shock.

"W-what? N-no… y-your lying!" came her gasp. Jade walked forward and grabbed his sister's shoulders. Moving to stand behind her, he covered her eyes.

"What do you see Lythia?" he asked. His question is very random to Lythia.

"Other than your hand?" she responds quietly. "Books, shelves, scrolls, other tomes."

Jade leads her forward and pulls a book off the shelf. He takes his hands away from his sister's eyes and asks her to read the book which he has opened before her. Confused, but seemingly knowing what Jade was doing, Lythia complied, reading the page. Eventually Jade stops her.

"I can't see the words of the page your reading," he says, lifting the cloth that he had placed over the pages away. "The arte that Professor Nebilim applied to your eyes doesn't give you true sight, instead it allows you to see fonons. These fonons create the forms you see, as such, you cannot be blinded by certain blindfolds."

Jade holds up the cloth.

"Tell me, dear sister, what colour is this cloth?"

"White," Lythia replied slowly. "It's clean, only pure fonons form it, they are not mixed to make it a different colour. I cannot see through darker coloured cloths because the fonons that create the colour are mixed and have flooded the cloth in a way that blocks my view…."

The siblings were silent for a few moments, neither moving. It was Lythia's turn to sigh.

"So I was born blind, but saved from that fate by Professor Nebilim," the blonde woman murmured. She shook her head. "I need to find Caius…"

Lythia left in a dazed manner, repeating the revelation of her blindness over and over. Jade was almost going to chase after her, but movement from a darker corner of the library drew his attention to Emperor Peony, who was holding a book which had been discarded by Lythia. The Emperor gestured for him to leave Lythia alone, before the blonde man followed after their shared sister.

* * *

A brown haired teen sat in his room, reading an children's novel that Arya had given him when he had first come to the castle. Caius was so absorbed in his book that he didn't notice the person approaching him until her shadow covered his book. The teen looked up to see Lythia. He was about to shout at her to go away, but the blonde princess spoke first. Not to him, or at him, more about him, like she was reciting a formula.

"Caius Yamada, last name given by Princess Lythia of House Malkuth," Lythia stated, "test subject 261 of Project: Lunderverg. The same project affiliated with the Christopher Plan. Both projects worked towards the resurrection of the Malkuth councilman Christopher Lunderverg. Subject 261 was only listed under the name 'Caius', as many of the other subjects, no last name was recorded. No birth records exist of Subject 261, exact age is unknown. Medical analysis puts Caius at around sixteen years of age. In Subject 261's files, the experiment was listed as a partial success. The test subject was to be terminated and subject 262, listed 'Sera', was to take his place. Nothing else is known of Caius Yamada."

Lythia stopped talking and whatever Caius wanted to say was forgotten. The silence lasted a few seconds before the shocked teen asked the question he needed answered.

"What do you mean by 'partial success'?"

Deafening silence reigned again. Lythia sighed, closing her eyes to answer the boy's question.

"The Christopher Plan," the princess began, "was seeking to create a stable replica that would not fade away or explode in a burst of fonons, a replica that would live a normal span of years. They ultimately failed, unable to get their replicas to live longer than six months. Branching of from this was Project: Lunderverg, who sought to fuse a dead soul into a living body. The notes found stated that in an experiment, the soul they were trying to fuse to your body spoke to then for a minute before disappearing. It is noted as well, that this caused complete memory loss."

Caius looked back down at his book for a moment, glaring at the pages.

"So Dr. Gneiss lied to me?" he asked. "My memory wasn't stolen by the Witch Child?"

Lythia's eyes narrowed as the brown haired teen mentioned Dist.

"Dr. Gneiss is well known for his lies," she commented. "I had no idea he was involved in either project."

"He was the first person I saw," Caius replied. "He told me my name and that the Witch Child had destroyed my family and then he sent me to Malkuth."

With a frustrated huff, Lythia muttered something under her breath, though Caius only caugth the words "Dist" and "I can't believe Peony." When Lythia finished with her quiet rant, she placed a file beside Caius.

"That contains everything i just told you," she said simply. "You have a choice now. I kept my promise and found out everything I could about you. Now you can leave my service and this palace and I can give you the funds you need to send you on your way, or you can remain my retainer and put this all behind us."

The teen looked up at Lythia.

"Why are you giving me this choice my Lady?" He asked, shocked.

"I gave you a very simple order Caius," Lythia murmured quietly. "One simple order; 'you will not tell anyone, not even the Emperor, that name.' That is what I said. The bond between retainer and their liege is built on trust. Can I trust you anymore Caius? So you get a choice, to leave or to stay."

"What is so important about that name?" Caius demanded, but Lythia gave him no answer as she turned on her heel and walked away. Peony entered the room as she left.

"Do you really wish to know why the name Lythia Kari Malkuth is so important?" the Emperor asked. Caius nodded numbly. Peony let a hand rest on the young teen's shoulder.

"Come to my rooms, with Jade's party," the blonde man said. "I will only explain this once."

Caius stood and bowed before Peony, but the man simply stopped the teen by lifting the teen's head to look at him. There was a hard expression in Peony's eyes that made the brown haired teen want to finch away.

"I meant what I said in the throne room Caius," Emperor Peony intoned in a cold voice. "I did not wish to know the name that my father gave Lythia. I can assure you now, that if the Witch Child returns, it is on you."

"But Lady Lythia is_"

The question that Caius was going to ask was cut off by Peony pressing his hand over the teen's mouth. Releasing the boy, Peony turned to leave the room as well. Before he opened the door however, he threw some words back at Caius.

"There is a big difference between Lythia Balfour and Lythia Malkuth. The Witch Child might be the only thing left that connects them. But until you spoke that name, the Witch Child was dead. That much is certain."

Those foreboding words trailed after Peony as he left, leaving a very stunned Caius behind. There was nothing the teen could do except wait until Colonel Curtiss brought his party to the meeting that the Emperor had requested.

* * *

 **So now that we have reached the end here, what do you think?**

 **In this past month I have finished the planning of this story and I can now state that, including both the Finale and the Epilogue, this story will be 30 chapters long. Yes, we are almost halfway. I never expected that many chapters when I began, I honestly expected more.**

 **Anyway, next chapter will have an explanation from Peony at the start, about the Witch Child and Lythia. It will also get back into the majority of the chapter following game (or anime if I decide that I like the version of events better in places...). Lythia's semi new personality will be addressed too.**

 **Well cool interesting stuff was raised, like is Lillian fon Fabre and her friend Ester. I wonder who they are? And what will Caius choose?**

 **See you next chapter! (I make no promises for when I'll post it. My uni trimester goes back soon. Sorry.) Please review!**

 **~Icetail of WindClan - Meta-If~**

 **Unimportant Notes:**

 **Dist has many fomicry projects that he has participated in. He has been both a hindrance and a help to Lythia. That will unfortunately be explained in the last chapter.**

 **OOC moments will happen when characters are alone or in the presence of the only person they would act like that around. The most OOC moment will be when Dist finally isn't a cockroach. But you didn't hear that from me.**


	14. Memories of Grief Fears of Loss

**It's been a while hasn't it. I'm so sorry, I've been drowning in assessment. Moving into Studio units in my animation degree means I have less free time than I used to, or maybe I'm just really bad at time management. I no longer have any chapters written before hand, so my mistakes are anything not picked up by word. Well I hope you enjoy this chapter. We get the first (and maybe last) appearance of Caius' P.O.V. I'm not too sure about it. It's hard to write "Lady Lythia", "their liege" and etc, but I tried. Tell me what you think!**

* * *

 **Memories of Grief; Fears of Loss**

The interesting thing about questions was the never ending supply of them. That isn't the only interesting thing though. Another thing to note is how much can be expressed with a simple question, such as pain, confusion and, in this moment for the group of nine who had gathered in Peony's rooms, a need to understand. Emperor Peony had tried to stall the questions for as long as he could, with bright smiles and rappigs, however, nothing on the scale that the blonde man was trying to ignore could truly be ignored.

Stories of the Witch Child are almost as old as Lythia herself. Twenty-four years old to be precise. For twenty-four years, the people of Malkuth had shared a tale as if it had been true for centuries. What was the great truth about the Witch Child? The inevitable question simply existed, no one had asked it, yet everyone in the room knew that it was on the minds the room's occupants. Save one.

Peony stared out of the windows in his room, out onto the courtyard where Lythia was instructing a group of children with wooden play swords.

"The Emperor's word is law," he murmured, gaining the full attention of the room. "I could say that in the council room and every man there would fall silent, knowing that what I have said should not be argued against."

No one dared to interrupt the blonde Emperor, not in his pauses, nor when he was speaking. There was nothing to be said.

"Lythia Kari Malkuth. That's not a name to her, it's the words that are just the simple beginnings of an order she fears. She knows the weight of the Emperor's word better than anyone else in Malkuth. Soldiers have been ordered to go to war, civilians ordered to surrender land, but Lythia? She has been ordered to kill prisoners in the most horrific way possible."

Peony turned around and held the gaze of Jade, almost accusingly.

"When she first appeared before my father, I'm told that in exchange for refuge she would offer her darkest artes. In exchange for keeping her identity secret, she had to marry me three months after she turned twenty-one. To remain hidden from Jade Balfour, she all but sold her soul to a man whose idea of justice was to have a nine-year-old girl summon forth the arms of the dead to execute criminals, and to have that same girl cast the same arte to affect the battlefield."

The last part was spat out at the brunette haired, red eyed man. Jade seemed to realise what arte Peony was talking about, as the man's ruby eyes widened slightly.

"I'm surprised she is still sane," Jade murmured. Peony responded with a snort, walking over to his shelves which he kept covered with sheets.

"Sane?" he asked quietly, lifting the sheet and removing an old child's toy from the shelf revealed. "Can she really be called sane when she deals with the trauma by building masks, one where she killed her own heart, and another where she denies any attachment to the name given to her by Emperor Karl? She won't even admit that she was simply his favourite pet."

And there it was; the truth that Lythia was trying to hide and that Peony was avoiding putting into words. Anise gasped as Peony finally voiced the revelation. The words left a sour taste in the Emperor's mouth. The toy that Peony had taken from the shelf was thrown at Jade. It was caught and recognised by the man. In his hands, Jade held a rag doll, just a simple yellow square of thick cloth that was crudely scrunched, wrapped and folded into something resembling a girl, held together with blue yarn.

"Did she really keep this silly little thing?" he asked, scornful tone almost masking some other emotion that no one could place.

"You wanted to know how she remained sane didn't you," Peony responded. Jade's gloved hand curled around the doll, fingers tugging almost harshly against the yarn that acted as the doll's belt. With a sigh, the crimson eyed man slipped the ragdoll into his pocket.

"Gailardia Galan," the Emperor said suddenly, turning to Guy. "Imagine my surprise when my Lady Sister returns and reports that the last living member of House Gardios is playing serving boy for House Fabre of Kimlasca."

The blonde swordsman stepped forward and knelt before Peony. With his head bowed Guy began to speak.

"I apologise," the blonde swordsman stated resolutely. "As heir to House Gardios, it was my duty to present myself before your Majesty immediately. However, I have ignored my obligations for some time to pursue personal matters instead. I am prepared to accept your censure."

For what felt like a long time Peony stared at the son of one of his former nobles. The Emperor looked conflicted, before he closed his eyes and released a small sigh.

"If I were my father, you would be dead," Peony commented. "But I am not my father. I am not reproaching you. With your family's estates in the imperial treasury's control, all you need to do is ask and I can restore your title to you."

If the atmosphere had been anything other than the sombre and almost depressing, Anise would have jumped on the prospect of Guy being rich; however there was something in the way the Emperor spoke that kept everyone silent.

"Your majesty," Guy spoke after a moment. "I am afraid I cannot accept, however selfish this may be, I have something else I must do with Luke and the others. I would like to continue travelling with them."

The emperor's eyes narrowed slightly, before he presented a letter to the blonde.

"That is fine, you must have your reasons," Peony said, his expression returning to a more neutral look. "I won't force titles upon you. However I must ask that you give that to my Lady Sister… when you aren't in Grand Chokmah anymore."

Peony then left the room, muttering something about untrustworthy councilmen, with a dark expression on his face. The room he left was silent.

They were ready to leave for St Binah in an hour.

* * *

" _Sister, you cannot continue accepting this!"_

" _Lord Brother, it is not like you to simply call me 'sister'"_

" _Stop avoiding me Lythia! The council hates you and they do everything to make it known."_

" _Do you really expect anything less? I threw whatever plans they had away when I_"_

" _Yes, I know. But that doesn't excuse an assassination attempt! What if there's more?"_

" _It's the third."_

" _What?"_

" _That last attempt was the third try on my life. This month."_

" _This… month… This month!? How long have they been trying for?"_

" _A year."_

" _And you never told me?"_

" _Wouldn't your life be easier if I was dead?"_

" _Lythia…!"_

* * *

There were somethings that Caius believed that he would never do, and after learning that his liege, Princess Lythia, was the Witch Child, he had added willingly following his liege anywhere to that list. However, here he was, doing just that, walking behind his Lady Lythia, beside Arya, quite willingly, as they walked through St Binah, not bothering to wait for Colonel Curtiss to meet them and order a start to the evacuation.

Out of curiosity, Caius looked towards his liege as she talked to a man who had questioned her command to evacuate. The Malkuth woman's violet eyes were compassionate, but stern as she explained the situation. Arya was watching Lady Lythia intently, most likely observing the way that their liege interacted with her people. The young handmaiden was intent on helping Lady Lythia with the tasks that their liege had to complete as princess.

It was this that confused Caius. Where was the daemon that Dr Gneiss had claimed was the Witch Child who had taken the memories of Caius' childhood? The brown haired teen recalled a name that Lady Lythia had said when she had ranted about Dr Gneiss; "Dist." The young teen could only assume that his liege meant the Reaper God-General.

Caius' thoughts were cut short by Lady Lythia calling his name. Looking up again, Caius noted that the Guy was standing next to Lady Lythia, and that the blonde swordsman was holding the letter that Emperor Peony had bid him to deliver. The young teen walked up to the Malkuth Princess.

"Yes my lady?" he asked.

"Gailardia and I have things to discuss," Lady Lythia stated, pointedly ignoring the protests of the blonde. "I need you to come with us. The reason for this, I shall explain once we are alone."

Curiosity thoroughly perked, Caius followed his liege and Guy towards one of the previously emptied buildings, where the three of them entered. Once there, Lady Lythia broke the seal on the letter and read the first couple of lines. Carefully searching the small pile of papers, the Ward Princess removed three pages and handed them to Guy.

"That is addressed to you, Gailardia," Lady Lythia indicated, looking at him with expressionless eyes. "Read that and then tell me your answer, because the council has been untrustworthy as of late, and this does affect you, no matter if you are Count Gardios or not, and Caius is here as witness to our meeting."

* * *

It was just minutes later, Caius would note to Arya on the Albiore II, when the city started to sink lower than the ground it was already on. Guy, Lady Lythia and Caius had finished their discussion and had returned to helping the citizens evacuate St. Binah. While the Princess was talking with General McGovern and Colonel Curtiss the ground cracked and started to fall. Caius and Arya were with their liege on the falling land. Princess Lythia pulled the pair of them away from the edge of the land as it started crumbling.

It was truly a sign of Arya's youth when the girl's eyes widened as the situation sunk in, and the black haired child curled into a ball to muffle her scream. Caius crouched at her side to comfort her, looking up at Lady Lythia who was staring at her brother, as the man held back Luke fon Fabre from doing the stupid thing and jumping after them. There seemed to be a silent conversation held between the siblings as the Princess turned to the soldiers who had been caught on the falling ground with them and started barking out orders. It was going to be a long wait, she was saying, but they had to trust Colonel Curtiss to find a solution.

It took a few days for the land they were standing on to fall below the surface. Arya, Caius and Princess Lythia stood back to back in both wonderment and horror as they saw the true state of the world's heart. The miasma sea below them looked ominous and foreboding.

"So this is Hell then?" Arya asked softly.

"Nay," the blonde princess breathed. "This is a sign of a world dying, and Akzeriuth's fall set it off."

The sound of fon technology made everyone look up, to see a machine flying in the air, circling above them. They watched in wonder as it landed and a hatch in the side of the machine opened revealing Luke, who jumped out and beckoned everyone on board.

* * *

Lythia ignored any stares that were being sent her way as she pulled her brother into a hug. There had been a forcefully supressed fear sitting at the back of the violet eyed woman's mind when the land was falling, the fear that Jade would fail to get there in time, the fear that she would not see Jade again.

"Why do you do this, Lythia?" came Jade's question when Lythia didn't let go after a full minute.

"I've already lost you twice before, dearest brother," she murmured into his tunic. "I cannot lose you again. I cannot."

Jade was oddly silent at this, and when Lythia looked up, she could see his eyes closed, and his head turned away.

"You chose to run away," he stated, almost inaudibly. Lythia sighed, stepping back.

"We both did, in our own ways," she replied. "We did twenty-four years of running."

Jade pulled the rag doll that Peony had handed him out of his pocket and looked at it. His crimson eyes met his sister's own violet ones. The two siblings were silent for a moment, both almost assessing the other. Finally Jade spoke again, breaking the silence.

"In the end…" he murmured. "We both lost something that day, didn't we? Something we cannot get back."

"Aye brother," Lythia agreed. "That we did."

Jade handed the doll to Lythia with a small smirk, not saying anything as his sister's eyes widened, staring at the object with shock. Then the two siblings went to the cockpit of the ship to talk to everyone else.

* * *

 **So it went back to Lythia's P.O.V at the end. This chapter didn't turn out the exact way I planned it, because I ended up deciding that I wanted Lythia, Arya and Caius to see the Qliphoth.**

 **I also had Arya's reaction to the land falling there because I needed to both remind myself, and you, my readers, that she is only ten years old. I need to remember this when I am writing, and if I ever write something for Arya that a ten year old wouldn't in any world be doing, please tell me.**

 **So that's all for this chapter. I don't own Tales of the Abyss, I wish Arietta could be my actual daughter, and I sometimes wish that I was Lythia, but I sadly don't own the world. Caius belongs to Defiance-of-Fate. Lythia and Arya are mine.**

 **Please read and review, your reviews inspire me! Until next time!**

 **~Icetail~**

 **Unimportant notes:**

 **With the ragdoll... you won't be able to find any images anywhere of it. I tried finding an image on google, but unfortunately it doesn't exist. Maybe it does, I couldn't find it. It is an actual thing, I own one that my mum made at a history reenactment event. The doll is something from the medieval era that young girls would have made. It is literally a square of cloth that is tied together with yarn/wool to create a crude representation of a person. I'll get a picture of it onto my deviantart page eventually.**

 **The scene with Peony and Guy is a heavily modified version of the scene from the anime! Emperor Karl the fifth is never mentioned in the anime! (he might of been mentioned once... but that's not important) Due to Lythia being existent in this world and the subject matter of the conversation before Peony spoke to Guy, I felt that Peony's words would be darker and more reflective of times past.**

 **The letter that Peony addressed to Lythia will be resolved next chapter. It will also finish outlining the Malkuth Imperial council that I have created. It isn't the same council that I have for my crossover fic that I am writing for Abyss.**

 **Last note, this chapter was slightly rushed, I hope it didn't show.**


End file.
